. Move your child away from the problem and give your child time to calm down. A good rule of thumb is 1 minute for each year of age. For example, your 3 year old may get a 3 minute time out.
If you cannot leave your child alone, stay in the room, watch your child for safety, but do not give your child attention during the tantrum. Do not make eye contact with your child.After the time out or when your child has calmed down, talk with your child. Use simple words about what your child did. This will help teach your child that a tantrum is not a way to get needs met. Listen to your child. Then, your child will learn that using words will let others know what your child is thinking.Make sure that your child understands that the tantrums need to stop. Give praise when your child can use words to talk about feelings.
Remember, shouting and punishing your child during a tantrum may cause more problems. You should not give in to your child's demands to stop the tantrums. If you do, your child will learn that tantrums will help get what your child wants in the future. ‚
Will there be any other care needed?
There are ways to avoid tantrums. These include: ‚
- Set a good example for your child. Do not let your child see you getting angry over simple things.
- Praise your child over small achievements. This will help boost your childs confidence.
- Look out for signs of a tantrum so you can try to prevent it and refocus your child's attention.
- Give your child choices. Prepare sets of clothes and let your child decide on what to wear. You may also let your child pick what kind of breakfast cereal to eat.
What problems could happen?
Tantrums in public can cause distress. You want to be consistent with your response. This will help your child see that you are not going to give in to wants to avoid public attention. Here are some tips that may help make errands a bit easier. ‚
- Pick the best time of day for your child. Avoid naps and meal time.
- Plan where you need to shop and have a list of what you need to buy. This may prevent delays and help your child from being overtired.
- Calmly tell your child about what kind of behavior you expect before going anywhere. Help your child understand that a tantrum will make you leave the place right away.
- Let your child play while you are doing your errands or shopping. You may offer a book or toy so that your child has something to enjoy.
- Keep a snack and drink on hand in case your child is hungry.
- Let your child help. When you are choosing an item, offer your child the choice between two items that you would be happy with. Let your child carry small items or put them in the basket or cart.
- Allowing your child to make small choices can help with your childs sense of well being. Your child will learn he can have what he wants sometimes, but not all the time.
- Trade babysitting for errands. Ask a friend or family member to watch your child and you will run errands for them. Next time, you can switch.
Where can I learn more?
American Academy of Pediatrics ‚
http://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/family-dynamics/communication-discipline/Pages/Temper-Tantrums.aspx ‚
http://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/Pages/Staying-Cool-When-Things-Heat-Up.aspx ‚
KidsHealth ‚
http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/talk/temper.html ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
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Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚