Nobody is prepared for dealing with terrible twos — for that matter, nobody is really prepared for parenthood. Children are completely unpredictable. While one toddler may be perfectly behaved, others might be terrible to deal with. The worst thing about dealing with toddler tantrums is that we’re really only human. You shouldn’t feel bad if you find yourself getting angry with your toddler — but you can’t let that anger show, and can’t take it out on the child. They’re barely more than babies after all, and you can’t blame them for their behavior. There are ways you can modify your behavior — and theirs — healthily. The more measured your approach, the more likely the child will be to respond. However, sometimes the reasons behind a child’s behavior are more complicated than you might think. The sooner you figure these reasons out, the sooner you’ll be able to make a plan that can counter than terrible twos behavior. With that being said, dealing with toddler tantrums is never easy. But it can be simpler than you might think. Let’s get into a few tips that can change your approach to dealing with toddler tantrums.
1. Ignore The Bad Behavior
When dealing with toddler tantrums, it can be easy to overreact and discipline the child. While not all discipline is bad, for some children all discipline is ineffective. Some terrible twos tantrums are literal calls for attention. Now, this doesn’t mean that your child is without attention entirely — you certainly shouldn’t feel bad. But ignoring the child can still be difficult. Still, you should cool yourself down and ignore the screaming until the child calms. As they’re little, they can’t go unsupervised — but if they’re still young enough to be in a crib, crib time might be a good idea. Another advantage of ignoring bad behavior is that it ensures that you don’t yell at the child, or do something else you might regret. You need the time to calm yourself down, and so does the child. For some children, this technique proves that the bad behavior will get no results, and thus they stop. With that being said, this isn’t always the best approach, especially if you can ascertain that it’s not working for your child.
2. Create A Diversion
For some children, ignoring them just doesn’t work. They aren’t looking for attention in particular — it’s more that they’re bored. Sometimes, very intelligent children are just seeking an outlet for their energy and curiosity. You can also takes this as an opportunity to teach your child, as young as they are. Reading a picture book to your child is one possible diversion, as are building blocks. You still need be firm about how the tantrum is bad behavior. But with that being said, this kind of distraction is not only a learning opportunity but a relaxing bonding moment for you and your child.
3. Encourage Communication
Now, it may seem difficult or even impossible to communicate with your child when they’re only two. However, there are ways you can get them to communicate about what’s troubling them. Firstly, you should try to be as verbal with your child as possible. This encourages them to be verbal, and the more they can communicate the less they will feel frustrated with their lack of communication skills. Teaching your child some simple signs can do a lot to change how they feel about their communication level — and you can better understand them too.
4. Look Into Their Diet
We all know that toddlers are picky eaters — and they love sweets. It can be easy to give them what they want to make them happy. However, certain foods are more likely to result in overly energetic or cranky children. It does depend on the child, of course. But many have found that a change in diet, while not stopping tantrums once they’ve started, does decrease their likelihood of happening.
