Is your child throwing a huge tantrum because you’re not giving her what she wants? Here are five ways you can deal with her.
- Ignore her
Although it might seem pretty mean at first, this is one of the best-known methods. When your child throws a tantrum, her emotions take over, taking control of the part of the brain that makes decisions. That is why reasoning with her will not help – her emotions are affecting her decision-making. The best way to deal with her is to ignore her for the time being until she cools down, then you can talk and reason with her again.
- Create a Diversion
Getting your child interested in something else will make her forget about what she was throwing a tantrum about. In fact, distracting her before she is about to throw a tantrum will be the best way to avoid her blowing up in public. For example, if your child is about to scream because you won’t buy her a bar of chocolate at the supermarket, try saying something like: “Wow, look at that fish tank there! Isn’t it cool?” Chances are, your kid will turn her attention to the fish tank and forget all about her tantrums.
- Find out why she is throwing a tantrum
If ignoring your child doesn’t work, maybe she is facing a problem but doesn’t know how to communicate it to you, hence throwing a tantrum out of frustration. You can try empathising with your child, which takes some of the edge of the tantrum, then slowly communicate with her to find out what the problem is.
ways to deal with your child’s tantrums
- Hug her
We agree, this may be really tough to do when your child is throwing a fit and annoying you, but it can help her to calm down sometimes. Give her a big, firm, bear hug, and be quiet when you do so. This will help your child to feel secure and loved, even when you do not condone their behaviour.
- Speak to her calmly
This method is easier said than done, but you must keep your cool during a child’s tantrum, no matter how irritated you are. Shouting back at your child will just turn the whole situation into a screaming match, with no one winning at all. Talking to your child in a soothing voice shows that you’re not letting her behaviour get to you, which will make her realise that she will not get her way, making her stop her tantrum after a while.