What is a temper tantrum?
All children get angry from time to time. A temper tantrum is an extreme, angry outburst. They usually happen in children 1 to 4 years old.
Children may scream, cry, roll on the floor, throw things, or stomp their feet
Some hold their breath and turn red
Most temper tantrums happen when a child is frustrated
Some children have temper tantrums to get attention, get something from you, or avoid doing something
Tantrums are more likely when children are hungry or tired
Usually temper tantrums last less than 15 minutes
Use time-out or distract your child with another activity to stop temper tantrums
How can I help my child during a temper tantrum?
A temper tantrum eventually stops, but you can get very frustrated until it does. You usually can't reason with a child during a tantrum. And scolding them doesn't make it stop. Help your child calm down by doing the following:
First, try to calm yourself
Try to distract your child, but don't give them the thing they're trying to get
If distraction doesn't work, move the child to a different room or space
At home, a time-out chair may be a good location
Have your child sit in the time-out chair, 1 minute for each year of your child's age (for example, 1 minute for 1-year-old, 5 minutes for 5-year-old)
Don’t talk or look at your child while in time-out
After time is up, remind your child why the time-out was needed
Start your child in a new activity and go out of your way to praise any good behavior
Don't give in to what your child wants while having a tantrum. Giving in only teaches your child that tantrums work.
