For new parents, the toddler tantrum poses the greatest fear. And worse still, the tantrum in public. For most of us a tantrum in the supermarket, in the doctors waiting room or in a friend or relatives house is a nightmare because we feel it a reflection on us as parents. We fear that we are being judged or being seen as bad parents. But think about it – when you see it happen yourself, you tend to have a quiet smile to yourself and thank god it’s not you. Tantrums at home and in public are part of your child learning to assert themselves and are perfectly natural. What matters is how you react to them. A couple of techniques include:
Look at what has worked for you in the past. Know what works for you and trust your instinct for dealing with these situations. Panic sets in when a child is having a tantrum in public but you know how deal with this for your child. Be realistic. You can’t just abandon whatever you have to do because your child is having a tantrum so you have to reason with them in a realistic manner. Again, it all comes down to good communication (and of course patience on your part).
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