Tantrum Busters !!!!!!
Though experience, I have determined that the intensity of the said mind boggling, soul crushing tantrum usually depends on the character of the child
One minute they were these cherubic, doe eyed googling bundles of joy. Next minute they are the “know it all” age of two and screaming the roof down because you gave them the wrong colour sippy cup. No your child has not turned into a possessed creature from the Exorcist, but instead he or she is going through what is known as a “tantrum” Completely acceptable in the early years and simply not avoidable, it happens to all good parents, sooner or later. Toddlers with tantrums is not a flaw in your parenting, it is indeed a test to any stalwart positive parent, looking for a challenge. With having brought up four lovely children, I have indeed been through my fair share of tantrums. Though experience, I have determined that the intensity of the said mind boggling, soul crushing tantrum usually depends on the character of the child. Some of my children through their tantrum years roared with glory, whilst other were just mild protesters, either way by my fourth, I was an expert in tantrum busting. Here are my sure fire ways in beating a tantrum before it erupts into a catastrophe.
TIPS ON BUSTING TANTRUMS
DISTRACTION is your ultimate salvation. It might seem quite a simple and a matter of fact solution, but do not underestimate it’s power. As any astute parent will know, we are instinctively aware when our angelic toddler will turn to the dark side, the moment you get a whiff of the sudden change, attack with tactics such as “Hey, look at that bird, why not read this book or why don’t we watch this”, whatever the book, toy, situation use the power of distraction before the tantrum dam breaks and you are in the middle of a war!
STEP AWAY: Children usually reflect and react to our moods. They feed off of our energy whether we send out signals of happiness and joy or anger and dissatisfaction. So when your toddler has a tantrum in the middle of your bad mood, it is not always the best situation to find yourself in. Hijacking your moody moment, the toddler demands all the attention, feeling frustrated this temper tantrum is going to get the best of you. Therefore step away for a few minutes, control your anger or frustration, collect your thoughts and enter the scene of mass destruction with an open mind and heart.
COUNTDOWN: A popular tactic, it definitely works! As your toddler is getting agitated or frustrated by a situation, sit down, come down to eye level and count it off. Some days you might get to 10 other days it might go on till about a 100, either way you are helping your child with delaying the onslaught of emotions heading his or her way and giving him or her that time to deal with them in his or her own way. A very positive and sensible approach to self -independence. You can encourage them to use this tactic, even in school when they find themselves alone and in a trying situation.
MUSIC: Experts have argued that music does indeed help to liven the mood. At the end of a busy day, my most effective way to to unwind is to some soothing music or if I want to get pumped up for a strenuous work out session, the type of music motivates my mood. Therefore as a nasty tantrum rears its ugly head, sing your toddler a song, get them to join in. A sure fire way of keeping everyone singing a happy tune.
GENTLE WORDS: When you have a tiny person screaming themselves blue over an in-explainable situation, your immediate reaction might be to scream louder. But this is like adding gasoline to an already burning fire. The child screams, and you scream and no-one is the winner. Instead use gentle and soothing words to talk your child down from the edge of no reason. This tactic works at all ages whether tantruming toddler or trying teen, when they go low you go high!
Tantrums are icky, unwanted tests on parents. The best way to address and beat them head on is with some sensible tactics. Don’t let your toddler’s tantrum get the better of you!