The Terrible Twos: How to Deal With Your Child's Temper Tantrums
The developmental changes that parents frequently witness in 2-year-old children are referred to as the “terrible twos”. Due to the frequent changes in a child’s mood and behavior at this age, as well as the challenge of managing them, a parent may find it to be a miserable time. Your youngster can be clinging to you one moment and bolting away from you the next.
These changes are a typical part of a child’s development, despite how difficult they may be. Major changes in physical, intellectual, social, and emotional development occur in two-year-olds. A characteristic that contributes to feelings and behaviors that are challenging for parents to grasp in children at this age is that they can understand considerably more speech than they can express.
Two-year-olds struggle to balance their need for independence from their parents with their need on them. Although they are eager to act independently, kids are starting to realize that they must adhere to some rules. Due to the difficulty of this typical growth, improper conduct, irrational sentiments, and tantrums may result.
Be prepared to periodically lose your patience with your youngster during this period of adjustment. Maintaining your composure is important. When your child starts to become agitated, make an effort to divert his or her attention. If you can’t divert your child’s attention, ignore them.
If you’re in public, excuse your kid and wait until they’ve calmed down before returning to your activity. Additionally, take into account avoiding difficult circumstances, such as going shopping during your child’s nap time, and make sure to commend your youngster for acceptable behavior.
You may support your child during this challenging period by embracing the changes he or she is going through and demonstrating your love and respect for him or her.
Don't Ignore Their Emotions
If your toddler has temper tantrums, try not to ignore his or her emotions. Instead, talk with him or her about how he or she feels. You might say something like, “I see you’re mad at me. I’m sorry I didn’t do what you wanted. Let’s go play outside now.”
Teach Them About Feelings
If you’re having trouble with your toddler’s behavior, try teaching him how to express his feelings. You can do this by talking to him about his feelings and helping him learn to recognize his emotions.
Toddlers often struggle with expressing their emotions, which makes them feel uncomfortable and anxious. By teaching toddlers how to identify their feelings, you can help them understand what they’re feeling and why they’re feeling it. For example, if your child is upset because he doesn’t want to share his toys, you could say something like “I know you really wanted to keep those toys all to yourself, but sharing is important.” Or if your child is angry because she wants to watch TV instead of playing outside, you might say “You’re mad at me because you want to play outside, but we both know you’ll be happier inside watching TV.”