Dealing with Toddler
Temper Tantrum

Toddler temper tantrum is something very common. Between the ages of one and three, your previously gentle and loving toddler will have a change of personality. He will no longer be content to accept your rules for everything, but will want his own say in what he does and does not do. Quite frequently, this will result in temper tantrum.

When a toddler starts having tantrums, the first thing the parents should do is decide what is important and what isn't important. If you want to have your own way in everything your toddler disagrees with, then you're likely to spend the majority of your time in a battle of wills. The best plan is to make as few rules as possible. Your child will be more likely to adhere to a lower number of rules and he will also know that those rules are important. Letting him get away with eating breakfast cereal with his fingers may be worth the mess if you know that he will definitely hold your hand to cross a road.

Once you do decide what is important, don't give in. Make sure your rules are constant. If you make a rule that no biscuits may be eaten an hour before tea-time, stick by that rule, even if your toddler's cries are loud enough to annoy the neighbours. Once you give in and hand him a biscuit, he will expect one every time he cries.

A toddler has a tantrum to try and get what they want. If this usually works, they will continue to have tantrums. If, on the other, a tantrum never produces the result they want, they will soon give it up as ineffective.

The following are a number of things you can do when your child is in the middle of a tantrum, without having to give in:

Ignore him.
Most tantrum-throwers are trying to attract attention. If you don't give him that attention, he will lose interest and stop the tantrum.

Send him to bed or to his room.
This gives both of you a cooling down period.

Leave him.
Obviously, don't take your eyes off the child if you do this in public.

Distract him.
Start to play with a new toy, get your child a drink, go outside for a walk. Do whatever it takes to get your toddler's mind off the problem.

Toddler temper tantrum are an inevitable part of a child's development. They can't be completely avoided. But with some back-up options, hopefully the amount of time your child spends in a tantrum will be reduced.