subject: How to Deal With Temper Tantrums [print this page] How to Deal With Temper Tantrums How to Deal With Temper Tantrums
Temper tantrums are caused by anger, one of the most basic emotions. As long as babies are concerned, there is a constant rise in tantrums until they are four years old. When a child wants to do something and you say 'No', the reaction you will usually get out of this child is anger.More often he makes a scene because he wants you to notice him, so he shows off in front of company. You send him out of the room for this and he kicks and screams both because he is sent away from the center of excitement, and because you aren't with him paying attention to him.Specialists in the field of child behavior say to ignore those fits of tempers and if necessary put the child in a room by himself. He must be taught that temper tantrums are not the accepted form of behavior to get attention.If you put him in a room alone, and do not pay attention to his screams, he learns that the fits he throws do not bring the desired results and that he'll have to try something else.A great number of parents find it more tempting to spank a child than to listen to them kicking and screaming. But you should remember that some children would rather choose a good spanking rather than being completely ignored, because spanking is also a form of giving attention. What parents should instead do is try to channel their children's energy into more socially acceptable actions.Most children go through a phase of tearing pictures out of books. The tearing itself isn't what you object to, but you don't want the family album or any book destroyed. Hand him an old magazine instead. Explain to him that the family album is a cherished possession.Or if he waits until the day you have company in for tea to have a tantrum, enlist his co-operation in serving the guests rather than pushing him out of the way. Let him hand the cookie tray around. He'll get the attention he craves when you praise him for his assistance and when the guests thank him. It's also a better idea staying calm than loosing temper and yelling at your child. Staying calm will accomplish more in the process of curing him. There are certain times when it would be too long to explain something, so in emergency cases when your child is about to break something, shouting is counter productive. You should instead try diverting his attention to something else which he would find more interesting.
