Be Wise in Dealing with Your Children’s Tantrum

Most parents have dealt with their children’s tantrum every once in a while. You may have witnessed children’s tantrum in public. You can see this scene in a shopping center, especially in a toy store. Your child might urge you to buy him some toys or otherwise his tantrum erupts. If your child’s crying does not make his wish granted, his anger will escalate even more, with shouting or rolling on the ground. At that time, parents usually embarrass due to the attention from the public.

Tantrum is a common behavior among children aged one to four years old. This usually occur due to your child’s limitation in expressing what he wants. Your child might become frustrated due to his inability in expressing what he wants. Parents also don’t understand and do not obey what their child wants. This will usually lead to tantrum. According to the site Pediatrics of Florence, 87% of children aged 18-24 years old have tantrum because their inability in expressing their wish, due to limited communication skill.  Among children aged 42- 48 months, 50% of tantrum cases is caused by the feeling of pressure and tiredness.

What are the examples of tantrum? Tantrum can manifest in a wide range of signs like crying loudly, shouting, hitting object, kicking object, rolling on the floor, etc. Tantrum is a normal sign if occur occasionally. According to a study performed by Andy C. Belden, PhD from Washington University, preschool students that have tantrum five times a day for a few days within one month outside the house, has increased risk of developing psychological problem later in the future. So, if your child has tantrum very often, even become a habit, then you need to find the culprit, fix it and stop this bad habit.

What should you do if your child has a tantrum? You can apply these following steps:

• Do not scold your child. If being scolded, your child will not obey, and he tend to repeat it. You can sit next to him, instruct your child to take a deep breath and explain that his behavior is not a good thing to do.
• Discuss with your child about the do’s and dont’s in your family, and to what extend a certain thing is tolerable.
• If your child is having a tantrum, ignore it until his tantrum subside, then you can start interacting with him as if nothing happens.

The key to dealing with a child who is having a tantrum is to stay calm. With a calm and peace of mind, parents can think thoroughly and find the best solution for this issue.