My daughter turned 2 in January and we’ve definitely turned a corner. The whining, the crying, and the random outbursts are terrible. The terrible two’s. Most of the time my girl is happy and calm. I find that if she has a tantrum, it is usually because at least one of these ten things was left unfulfilled. If you want to learn how to prevent toddler temper tantrums, enact these ten tactics!
1.Choices: Keeping your toddler happy is about helping them feel capable and in control. They are learning how to be an individual. Giving them choices in daily activities is a great way to allow your toddler to take charge of something in their own life. Give them choices as much as you can, “Blue shirt or red?” and “Crackers or cereal?”
2.Counting Method: This is becoming very common, the parent counting 1, 2, 3 before punishing the child for bad behavior. The basis of this method is just that it is unfair to expect a toddler to always know or remember the right way to behave. You have to warn them before you punish. Furthermore, you should warn them before you even yell. The more yelling you do, the more frustrated your toddler will get and it becomes a vicious cycle.
In this case, she did NOT want raisins, ha!
3.Validate their emotions: When your toddler begins to get upset, one of the best diffusers is to validate what they are feeling. It sounds like, “I know you are upset because you want to eat raisins, but I do not have any to give you.” Many times toddlers throw a tantrum because they just don’t feel understood.
4. Offer a replacement or distraction: Young toddlers can often still be distracted, say something silly or point out something interesting. If this doesn’t work with your kid anymore, offering replacements might do the trick. If we take the previous example, offer them another food they are fond of after validating their feelings. “I know you are upset because you want to eat raisins, but I do not have any, so why don’t I get you some fruit?”
5.Exercise/Going Outside: Fresh air and stretching muscles feel better than anything to your child when they feel down. Kids have so much energy, to leave them sedentary indoors most of the time is just asking for pent up aggression.
6.Sing: Singing or playing soothing tunes to calm down still works after babyhood. Your toddler will still love to hear relaxing music and probably enjoys dancing to develop their motor skills. I’ve even taken to singing a fun song in the middle of an argument with my toddler and she just forgets the battle and claps along.
7.Set a Schedule: The best way to prevent meltdowns is having your children on a schedule. I am a schedule lover, but it’s not just because of my organization needs. My children are rarely hangry (angry from hunger) or over-tired because their schedule provides consistent meal and nap times.
I woke up hangry.
8.Language: Help your toddler develop language as much as possible. Read books, use flash cards, engage in conversation, do whatever you have time for as much as possible to get your child to learn words. The main reason toddlers throw fits is because they get frustrated with communication challenges. The more they can talk about, the less they will act out.
9.Emotions: Similar to developing language, a toddler is trying to learn emotions. Toddlers gain many emotions after age 1, and they have a hard time handling them. An easy thing to do is label your own emotions often. Say, “Mommy is frustrated with the computer right now.” They will see your behavior and understand frustration. Same goes for happiness, sadness, excitement, and them all.
10. Snuggles: On days where I haven’t spent much time with my toddler, I always anticipate a meltdown or two. It’s important to spend time holding, cuddling, kissing, and expressing love towards your toddler frequently. You might not realize their tantrum is simply to get some attention, but often it is.
She loves my cuddles most of the time!
If you enjoyed this advice, you will probably like my post 5 Discipline Mistakes and I’m sure you’ll want to find out how to potty train in a week! Please share with your friends!
Published by Melissa Woods
My name is Melissa Woods, homemaker and parent. I am an amateur handy-woman and avid DIY-er. I am an adept painter and deft crafter. I am a finance enthusiast and frugal to the core. View all posts by Melissa Woods
