TANTRUMS ................. OH NO NOT AGAIN !!

THE TUMMIES TO TANTRUMS GUIDE TO TODDLERS TEMPER TANTRUMS

As a Nurse Practitioner and mother of 2 small ones I thought it may be useful to share a few tips on how to stay calm during some of the most embarrassing, mortifying episodes that you may encounter with your toddler!!

1. REMEMBER ...... Who is more frustrated with this outburst ?? You or them ??? This is natural, every parent has been through this and they are probably staring at you with pity and empathy rather than judging your parenting skills.

2. DON'T shout, scream, lose control or punish your little one, always keep in mind that you are the grown up and need to stay in control of the situation.

3. DO reward good behaviour for example " Thank you for being so helpful at the supermarket I am very proud of you ! " ( This goes a long way with my 2 little ones!! )

4. Explain to your little one that you understand that they are angry/frustrated/upset etc but there are better ways to deal with it. Explain these ways to them. " When mummy and daddy get upset or angry we talk about it, maybe when you get angry you could talk to mummy or daddy instead of screaming and we can help you "

5. The most important thing is to be consistent, stick to the same method and the same discussions, It take us a while for your little one to understand and control their emotions but for the sake of your sanity ............ It's worth the effort!