Temper Tantrums Control Guide

Temper Tantrums Control Guide

By Syretta Jones

My middle child gave me a run for my insanity when I was pregnant with his baby brother. He was not very thrilled about giving up the baby of the family title.  When I was about 6 months pregnant I took my son to the mall to buy him some winter clothes. I passed by the little rides that were near the store I was going to. Well, my son did well on the start of our trip but he decided to turn his little head and his toddler eyes saw the greatest thing ever that day. RIDES!!!! Needless to say, I didn’t have any change because I only grabbed my card to make my purchase. The last thing I wanted to do was lug around a huge handbag while holding shopping bags and walking with a 2 year old during my 6 month of pregnancy.

My son started screaming when I pulled him away from the rides and fell out in the middle of the mall. His shoes went flying in two different directions; he was having a screaming competition with himself and from the outside looking in you would have thought I was trying to kidnap someone’s child. I was totally embarrassed. I picked him up, even though I was having a high risk pregnancy, and carried him sideways to the car while trying to breathe and hang on to his shoes, shopping bags and my sanity. I didn’t know how to handle that situation so I have located some helpful tips to assist parents that experience similar moments with their children:

Tools to use:

• Ask yourself what started the tantrum (are they hungry, tired or acting out because they cannot have an item they asked you for)
• Take a deep breath and keep your cool
• Take a toy or food with you for your child while you are running errands (doll, car, truck, fruit snacks, banana, apple, juice (Please no red juice), water, etc…)
• Distract your child when you see a tantrum in the making (sing a song, ask for their assistance, tell them you are proud of how well they are behaving, etc…)
• Plan your trips ahead to avoid tantrums (don’t park near the things they desire to have, do not leave lying around that will cause them to cry because they cannot have them)
• Avoid shopping during their nap time (that’s setting yourself up for a challenging trip)
• Is some cases it’s best to ignore the tantrum while teaching them how to deal with anger
• Some people use time-outs while others redirect their child’s attention to something constructive. (You have to figure out what works for you)
• Give your child a responsibility. (Ex. They can push the basket, hold a bag, calculate the groceries as you put them in the basket, and assist with something to keep their mind occupied)
• Always talk to your children to let them know that certain displays of emotions are unacceptable and explain to them the consequences
• Take away something they value and care for