5 FAST TAMERS TANTRUM

Toddlers are notorious tantrum throwers – it’s all part of asserting their newfound independence, but it’s enough to drive you crazy. Short of throwing yourself on the floor and joining his kicks and screams, we have a few ideas to stop the tears in their tracks. 1 TURN A BLIND EYE The fact is that during a tantrum your toddler’s emotions are ruling his brain, so reasoning with him will not help at all. It’ll just make things worse. Rather ignore it completely, wait until he’s calmed down and then address the issue calmly.

2 CREATE A DIVERSION Sometimes all a tantrumming tot needs is to have his attention pulled towards something new. Keep a few exciting goodies in your bag for moments like this, or if your tot’s major meltdown is happening in the cereal aisle say something like, “Hey, I think we need some cooldrink, come with me to choose which kind!”

3 GIVE HER A BIT OF LOVE Because of their intrinsic emotional roots, a bit of loving can go a long way in stopping the tears. A firm hug just helps make your toddler feel secure in this big scary world, which is probably part of what got the tantrum started in the first place.

4 OFFER FOOD OR SOME QUIET TIME Hunger and overtiredness are two leading causes of tantrums. Because your tot isn’t feeling too perky physically, his emotions aren’t far from falling off the edge too. If you find tantrums happen at around the same time every day, feed him, give him some water and let him chill out a bit.

5 LAUGH IT OFF Getting angry or visibly frustrated during a tantrum gives your toddler the attention he wants, so do something he won’t expect to surprise the tantrum away. Start giggling loudly or tickle your tot – the laughs will follow soon!