If you have ever been in a grocery store or other public place when a toddler let loose, you now just how distracting and obnoxious it can be. If the child is your own, it becomes even more excruciating and embarrassing. However, with the right tools, you can get toddler temper tantrums under control before they drive you nuts.
Be Consistent
Consistency is the cardinal rule of child discipline. Children naturally want to test the boundaries of their parents guidance. If you react differently to the same situation, they become confused and continue to escalate the incidence of toddler temper tantrums. It can be extremely tempting to cave in order to get a little peace. However, for your sanity and their safety and development, it is much better to draw a hard line for unacceptable behavior. While it is more difficult at first, better long term behavior is the inevitable result. Most parents who insist that they have tried a proven parenting technique and it hasn’t worked for them have neglected to pay attention to consistency.
Change the Environment
Most toddler temper tantrums are caused by a specific item, situation or point of conflict between the parent and toddler. Removing your toddler from the environment that is causing the issue can help to de-escalate the tantrum. If you are in the middle of shopping or a social outing, this can be frustrating. However, like all aspects of parenting, discipline is an investment that will pay back dividends later. If you have a huge problem with tantrums, schedule only short outings until you both get the situation better under control. It can also be helpful to anticipate a troublesome situation and eliminate it beforehand.
For those serious about taking control of your out of control toddler.
If you really want to stop your toddlers temper tantrums, I highly recommend you pick up the book Train Your Angry Dragon.
It will teach you everything you need to know to stop those awful temper tantrums for good.
Use Time Outs Effectively
With so much research indicating that spanking is harmful to your toddler, time outs have become the discipline method of choice. However, they are actually often misunderstood and misused. The biggest thing to remember with toddlers is that they like to see a big splash when they misbehave. In other words, your reaction is the most important pay off that toddler temper tantrums bring to your child. Take away the pay off. The most effective time out is given without a lot of dialogue and interaction between parent and child. Explain the rules in a simple, understandable way. If your child gets out of their time out spot (and they will!), place them back in firmly, showing as little emotion as possible. After a week or two, they will have the drill down and it will be much easier. After they time has been served, you can give hugs and discuss why the behavior was unacceptable.