- Do not give in to temper tantrums, as this teaches children that screaming and crying can achieve their goals.
- Giving in provides short-term gain but long-term challenges, leading to more frequent tantrums.
- Managing tantrums effectively may involve leaving the situation or providing a short timeout to help the child calm down.
- Teaching children alternative strategies to manage emotions, such as using words to express feelings or taking deep breaths, is crucial.
- The goal is to help children regulate emotions while maintaining consistent boundaries and minimizing reinforcement of negative behaviors.
Handling Temper Tantrums
Temper tantrums are as common as sunshine and rain. When dealing with tantrums, remember to think about the long term consequences to your response.
Nina Sand-Loud, MD, Child Development
