Toddler Tantrums: Understanding and Tackling Toddler Outbursts

Parenting a toddler can be challenging. They will display emotional outbursts often that can leave the parent frustrated and helpless. Understanding what tantrums are and why they arise can greatly help parents create a supportive environment to effectively address these issues. In this blog, we will explore what toddler tantrums are, their common triggers, and strategies to manage them. Let’s dive in to find out more.

What Are Toddler Tantrums?

Toddler tantrums are basically intense, sudden outbursts of emotion that toddlers might display often. These outbursts may be in the form of common toddler tantrums like crying, screaming, kicking and hitting. Some common triggers include:

• Hunger
• Tiredness
• Seeking Attention
• Changes in Routine

Tantrums occur because toddlers are unable to regulate their emotions. However, it is interesting to note that tantrums – and how adults respond to them – are also a way through which toddlers learn about regulating their emotions. For example, temper tantrums are a way for toddlers to explore boundaries and assert independence. Although dealing with tantrums can be exhausting for parents, it is an important phase in a child’s development, and influences the parent-child bond.

The Psychology Behind Toddler Tantrums

Understanding the psychology and causes of tantrums can help parents respond to them with empathy, and use effective strategies to deal with them.

Between the ages of 1 and 3 years, children are in a phase of emotional and mental development. This is the stage at which they begin to experience emotions, although their ability to understand and regulate these emotions is limited. They manifest these emotions through outbursts, which are called emotional tantrums.

Toddlers process their emotions in a raw and unfiltered manner. This is why they express frustration and anger through temper tantrums and other physical actions like screaming loudly and pulling their hair. Tantrums are how toddlers communicate their emotions. Once they learn to speak, they learn words and gestures which they then use to describe their needs and feelings.

Preventing Toddler Tantrums

Here is how you can prevent toddler tantrums:

• Calm your Child: An immediate response to emotional tantrums should be an attempt to calm the child. Use soft music, read a book, or try any activity that helps to calm the child while they are experiencing emotions they cannot comprehend. Distracting the child may sometimes work, but only for a short while. Even so, it calms them enough for you to figure out what has caused the tantrum, and take steps to address it.
• Establish routines: Parents must make sure to create a routine and stick to it. Consistency is an important aspect of early childhood development. A routine for various activities like feeding, playtime and nap time should be set and followed. This routine and consistency helps the toddler feel secure.
• Ensure basic needs are met: The most common causes of tantrums are unmet needs. Parents must ensure that their child’s basic needs are met consistently. Meals and snacks should be provided regularly, and care should be taken to make sure that they are kept clean and comfortable at all times. Ensuring toddlers get sufficient sleep also goes a long way in keeping toddlers calm and content.
• Effective communication: During the toddler phase, parents begin to understand what their child wants even though it might not be apparent to anyone else. This happens through the bond that they create with their child. Effective communication between toddler and parent is essential to maintain the toddler’s well-being.

Strategies for Managing Toddler Tantrums

• Stay calm and composed: A parent must stay calm and composed to understand their child’s needs. They can do so by taking deep breaths, and pausing to collect their thoughts before responding to the outburst.
• Acknowledging the child’s feelings: Although dealing with a temper tantrum can be frustrating, it is important for parents to remember that these tantrums are a sign that their child is experiencing emotions they cannot comprehend. By acknowledging their feelings – whether through words or gestures like a hug – parents can validate their child’s feelings, which helps the child understand that it is OK to experience emotions. Soothing and comforting gestures also help in calming the child, and giving them a sense of safety and security.
• Distraction: Introducing some kind of distraction at frequent intervals is a good way to prevent tantrums. Introduce a new activity in the form of a toy or a game to keep their minds occupied in playing and not in assessing their emotions. Move them from room to room occasionally to give them a different environment to explore.
• Stay close but not too close: While parents must always supervise their children and not leave them unattended, they should also give their children some space to explore new environments on their own. This will help toddlers learn to adapt to new and different situations and places on their own. Try introducing your toddler to a new space and then slowly step away to a spot where you can supervise them from a short distance.
• Use visual aids: Sometimes, using visual aids like charts works with toddlers. It can help them understand routines. You can use a specific colour-coded chart where each colour would indicate a specific part of the routine.

It is essential for parents to understand the causes behind tantrums to effectively respond to their toddlers. Parents can prevent these tantrums by establishing routines, meeting basic needs and communicating with the baby. Toddlers need to be calmed down when they display their emotions through tantrums. With patience and consistency, a parent can tackle the toddler’s outbursts much more effectively and easily. Enrol your children at Billabong High International School to give them the advantage of a nurturing environment. Visit our website to learn more about our curriculum.