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Breaking the Tantrum Escalation Cycle

All children have tantrums, but parental responses can unintentionally increase their frequency and severity.
Tantrums may arise when children want attention, resist giving up control, or are asked to do something unpleasant.
Giving excessive attention or allowing a tantrum to let the child avoid a task reinforces the behavior.
Gradually escalating parental responses followed by giving in teaches children that bigger tantrums are more effective.
To manage tantrums, parents should, minimize attention to the tantrum itself, maintain consistent expectations and ensure tasks are completed, and provide positive reinforcement when children follow instructions or cooperate.
This approach helps children learn appropriate behavior and reduces the incentive for extreme emotional outbursts.

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