Tantrum tricks
Sometimes, when children have a meltdown, adults get frustrated and lose cool which is not helping. I recently wrote on how to deal with toddler tantrums. Thought of sharing some tricks that might help you not lose your cool and help Little blooms blossom and be happy.
What is Tantrum ?
Tantrum, temper tantrum, meltdown, fit or fussy fit is an emotional outburst, usually associated with those in emotional distress, that is typically characterised by stubbornness, crying, screaming, violence, defiance, angry ranting, a resistance to attempts at pacification, and, in some cases, hitting and other physically violent behaviour.
Below are TRICKS that works
- calm down; calm down trick has proven very effective over the years. All you need to do is sit your child down in a chair and hold her there with your hands around her abdomen when a child throw tantrum its because he does not know how to put himself together, so it is best to hold him there and tell him to take a deep breath with the count of 1 to 5, stay together in this position until he is calm and then talk about what happened.
- Give a squeeze; Nothing soothes the cries of a child more quickly than a warm hug from an adult who loves them. Giving a hug is one of the most effective ways to end a temper tantrum, not only are hugging good for children’s brain development and physical growth, but it also supports their emotional development. Therefore, When a child has a meltdown, give a hug, it will help them feel safe and remind them of your love.
Related; A highly effective way of dealing with toddlers tantrum
- Keep him busy; when children are continuously engaged in an activity, their little minds will not think about throwing a fit, best to have a weekly task plan, ensure to follow through with the task plan, this way, they are engaged and you will have peace. Below is a chart that might help you in making a task plan
- Tune to role playing mode; Sometimes, when a child throws a tantrum, all you need to do is tune into the role-playing mode, pretend like you did not see him acting that way, after a while, show him a funny surprise face, talk to him like you did not see him having a meltdown, he would be a surprise and eventually stop crying, instead of seeking attention he would end up giving you attention which would make things easier, as you would be able to talk to him about what he wants
- Build resilience ; never give in to a child’s meltdown. If you would not let him have something, do not give in because they throw a tantrum, If you do, they will realise the key to having their way is by acting out.
For example, when a child acts out because you ask them to tidy up after eating and he refuses, do not tidy up for him, let him know because he is acting that way, he will not be able to go out later and play.
Just ensure you entice him with what he would like this way, he will put himself together and tidy up. And so when he is calm and has tidied up, you can then talk to him about his actions.
- Offer an alternative; when children throw a tantrum as a result of something they want, and you are not giving them, it is best to offer an Alternative for example, if they are upset because you stop them from watching a cartoon, how about Offering another choice like playing hide and seek or going to the playground, ensure you offer choices they would like.
Related; A highly effective way of dealing with toddlers tantrum
- Find the fun; when children are bored, they tend to throw a fit, so it is best to find the fun in all they do. For example, ‘when a child is having shower how about you put some toys like ducks or their favourite toys in and do some singing together, Try finding fun in all they do this way, they are happy and engaged.
- Change the location; even as an adult, I get bored staying in a place all day, so when a child is having a tantrum best to take them to other places, for example, if he throws a fit in the dining during lunch, how about you take him out to the garden to have lunch, this way, your child face will brighten up
- Give An Ultimatum; Sometimes, all you need to do is give an ultimatum, remind them of pre-planned fun, let them know if they do not behave, it is not going to happen for example, if you have a plan to take him to fun city or the jump, let him know it is not going to happen if he will not stop acting out, this will immediately let him calm down
- Encourage gestures; Since toddlers often can not express himself which is why they throw fits, its best to encourage gestures, encouraging a child to use signs may take a while but, he would eventually know how to communicate their needs to you with gestures
if they can not use their words for example when a child is having a meltdown because of what she wants, ask her to point to it, if she points to her bed you will know he wants to sleep, if he points to the TV, you will know she wants to watch her favourite i.e ‘cartoon’ paw patrol. Teaching children how to use gestures will save you lots of headaches and help your child be happy.
Related; A highly effective way of dealing with toddlers tantrum
- Act silly; Sometimes, all you need to do is turn lemon into lemonade. When a child starts throwing tantrums, you should start singing a funny song in your loudest voice or probably starts dancing a funny dance, you will be surprised it will immediately draw her attention and, she will start laughing or dancing along.
- Distractions; you can avoid lots of meltdowns by catching them in time and using distractions to shut them up. Try having lots of things to distract your child in handy so you can always pull it out as soon as you sniff a meltdown.
- Countdown; I use this method most times and it’s effective, when a child starts acting out, all you need to do is maintain eye contact and tell him to stop, sit him down beside you and tell him to calm down if he is crying tell him your ears are hurting and you would like him to be quiet if he looks sad and starts saying he is sorry and want to go back to play, tell him to count 1 to 20 depending on his level.
when he is done with counting and you are ready to let him go, go over his actions again and let him know it’s not nice and you believe him not to do that again.
Related; A highly effective way of dealing with toddlers tantrum