3 Tips to Decrease Temper Tantrums
We all know the feeling... your child is having a meltdown in the checkout line at the store because they want you to buy their favorite candy bar for them. A refusal to this request can lead to screaming, crying, and maybe even a full-blown tantrum. This can be embarrassing, stressful, and incredibly frustrating to deal with when there are so many people around! Many parents are probably wondering, "How can I avoid this?"
Reacting productively to a child throwing a temper tantrum can be challenging. If you are struggling to help your child learn how to process and regulate their emotions, we have 3 tips that will help!
3 Tips to Decrease Temper Tantrums
Name their feelings.
Younger children and those who struggle with communication might have a hard time with this. It can be overwhelming and even scary for a child who feels like all of their emotions are bubbling up and getting ready to spill out, and yet, they can't name what is happening. By giving their emotion a name, you are validating it, and taking the first step to reassuring them that everything will be okay.
Help them learn to communicate their feelings appropriately.
Screaming and kicking is not an appropriate way for someone to communicate that they are frustrated, but it might be all a child knows how to do. Come up with a new strategy whether it is a feelings wheel (you can find ours here), a chart, a scale, etc., and help your child learn how to use it to tell you what he or she is feeling. Once they have learned, hold them accountable for using it.
Teach them productive ways to regulate their emotions.
Depending on the child and the situation, these strategies will vary. Some common ones are deep breathing, counting to 10, and sensory bottles. For bigger feelings, the child may need to take a walk, go to another room where it is quiet, have a hug, etc. Help your child figure out what strategies work best, and then encourage them to use them.
These three steps can help you develop emotional intelligence and emotional regulation abilities in your child. By practicing these three tips, we hope you can decrease the amounts of temper tantrums your child experiences, at home, and in public.
If you are seeing that your child is struggling with emotional regulation as well as other things like turning in their homework, time management, planning, etc., you might want to look into an underlying struggle with Executive Functioning.
Questions?
If you have questions or need additional support please do not hesitate to reach out, >>here<< to see if we can help!
