Watching your toddler grow is a joyful experience, but like everything else in life, it comes with its own challenges.
While you may have shaken your head at parents letting their toddlers scream in stores, you’ll soon find that your own bundle of joy is capable of much the same. So, what do you do when your toddler has reached a mini melting point?
Start by taking a deep breath to avoid experiencing your own meltdown. This will help to center you so that you can think clearly and determine what might be causing the frustration.
Your child may be mad because they’re craving milk, a diaper change, or maybe a new toy. Children learn to throw tantrums to get what they want, so this problem afflicts most parents. But, how can you deal with a howling baby?
Pacify Them with Milk
Most babies throw tantrums because they are hungry or tired (or both). Giving them some breast milk or baby formula may be the solution you need to get your baby to calm down and stop yelling. Milk has the warmth and nutrients needed to help soothe your crying toddler.
Be Quick
While you may want your child to stop throwing a tantrum, trying to silence them won’t help the situation in the least. You need to be assertive and clear when giving direction to your child.
Be firm in your tone but quick to react to the negative behavior. While your child may be too angry to calm down, they will certainly stop doing something destructive. You must allow your child to get their angry feelings out as this venting is sometimes necessary.
Release Endorphins
Sometimes when a person is extremely angry, they just need a tight hug to make them feel better. The same principle applies to kids. You may need to give your toddler a firm cuddle to help calm them down.
You might be raising an eyebrow at the thought of hugging your toddler during a fit of rage, but sometimes this can ease the situation considerably. Hugs will make your child feel loved and may be exactly what they need at that point in time.
Step in to Avoid Breakage
If your child is throwing a big tantrum while throwing objects, kicking, and yelling, you must remember that this type of behavior might cause them to hurt themselves or others. Try to remove your child from the situation. Irrespective of how young your child may be, you must let them know that hurting themselves or others is unacceptable.
Fight the Urge to Throw a Tantrum too
Even parents feel the burning urge to throw a tantrum from time to time, especially when their toddler is yelling. Since you are the role model, you need to make sure that you do not scream louder than your child. Yelling gives your child an indication that their screaming is acceptable behavior. So, as hard as this may be, it’s essential that you stay calm and collected.
If you feel that you are failing as a parent because your child is throwing a tantrum, stop thinking that way. You will end up even more frustrated if you convince yourself that you are a bad parent, and you might react more negatively to the situation.
If all else fails and your child is throwing a tantrum in front of others, simply laugh it off. This is always better than crying or being embarrassed about your child having a mini-meltdown.
