Ever been at your wit’s end, completely unsure what to do about your toddler’s temper tantrums? Of course you have. And so has every other mother on the planet.
Please join me in welcoming Jeanette from Craftwhack.com to The SITS Girls today. She’s giving a step-by-step overview of how to survive your 2 year old’s temper tantrum. It is advice we all need at some point!
Temper Tantrums: A Survival Guide
Morning begins. You wake up to a smiley little angelic boy who nuzzles into your neck and lets you change his diaper with nary a peep.
Five minutes later. Living Room. Little angel goes berserk for seemingly no reason- complete with arching back, high-pitched, ear shattering screams, and poundy-footed floor writhes.
Congratulations, your child is 2. Since I am currently experiencing this with my second child, I am an expert in temper tantrums. Here I have compiled for you, free of charge, my guide to gracefully weathering fits of epic proportion.
First off, you must remain calm. And not the fake, angry-smiling, low/tense voice calm. You must Zen yourself out during a temper tantrum. This entails regarding your child as scientific subject matter- fascinating and worthy of observation from a safe distance.
Notice the interesting shapes his body makes whilst contorted. Does he meet your gaze from time to time or is he unaware of any other presence, consumed by his present displeasure?
At this point you may be tempted to try to help the subject to calm down- you may want to hold him or engage in upbeat conversation about trains or Elmo. Don’t. The subject will require further cooling off time and will respond unfavorably to any attempts of pacification.
Your job now is merely to continue to observe, while providing a safe environment for flailing purposes. Try to enjoy the expressiveness of this time with your child. The noises that emanate from his wide open pie hole can be beautiful and exotic.
In fact, you may choose to consider this your “alone time” for the day. Perhaps you can catch up on some mental meal planning, or take a few deep, cleansing breaths. Go ahead! You deserve it.
Presently, the little beast’s attention may be diverted by an accidentally kicked toy or piece of furniture. He may even momentarily stop shrieking and peek at the object- perhaps even fully turn his attention to the object for a good few minutes.
This is when you can spring into action! Join the subject in exploring the newly discovered item, and with any luck, he will forget that he was upset.
Bingo! After some wiping away of tears and liqui-boogers, a smile may emerge on his little face, and at this point, you may dissolve into tears. Or, if you are not premenstrual, you can embrace the relief you feel. At least until right after naptime.
About the Author
Jeanette Nyberg writes the blog Craftwhack.com and is trying to find some way to crawl inside of her computer and live there. In the meantime, she owns 1 husband, 2 kids, 2 step kids, and 1 ancient canine, with whom she shares many laughs.
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LOVE this!! Just tweeted it.
Janice (5 Minutes for Mom) recently posted..The Kitchen Counter Cooking School, a 5 Minutes for Books Review & Giveaway
Twitter: imaftmummy
says:
Wow… my toddler is at this moment throwing a tantrum and he is exhibiting the exact reactions as in this post. I’m just going to wait it out… and check out the FB site as well…
Jenny @ I’m a full-time mummy recently posted..My BFF
I remember waiting these out too.
JDaniel4′s Mom recently posted..On the Road to La-La Home Daycare with Cupcakes
My daughter had one of these yesterday and I chose this affect. It took about 25 minutes of her rolling around on the floor, screaming, and kicking but eventually it stopped. Now my husband sat there mad as heck because she was disturbing his peace during the Pitsburgh Steelers game…men:)
Latoya @The Scotts Crib recently posted..A Normal Crib Tour
Ugh I don’t look forward to those days!
Life As Wife recently posted..Extreme Couponing
I did something similar except all I did was pick them up, take them to their room and close the door. I just can’t “zen” out when they are right there screaming! Though I think it’s harder for my husband. But in any case I think that helped them learn fairly quickly. But the not-reacting part is so crucial!
Bethany recently posted..My Canning Recipe for Garbanzo Beans & Homemade Hummus
Great way to handle this! As the mom of 4 grown kids, I am sure i tried every tactic known to moms! But this works well, if you can not let it get under your skin. It is not a personal attack on you!
Bernice
Living the Balanced Life recently posted..When depression comes knocking at your door
Where in the world was this post when my toddler was screaming for 90 minutes on an airplane 2 weeks ago? lol
Kristi {at} Live and Love Out Loud recently posted..Life Goes On: Blindness is Not a Barrier to Success
Love this!
imperfectmomma recently posted..i dont want to go out ever again
Twitter: annieandisabel
says:
Love this… thanks Jeanette! You’ve reminded me that we are all in this together! Cheers!
Selena & Anna recently posted..Meet Brianne….Our Latest "Feel Better Campaign" Recipient
Twitter: decondemand
says:
Does that work for adult temper tantrums too?
Marie Cole recently posted..Powder Room with POP!
Wow…just wow….PERFECT timing for this post.
I know that I’m not alone but sometimes it feels like everyone is staring at my kid- the ONLY one in the room who isn’t smiling and playing perfectly with other children. I’m beginning to fall into that “I must be a horrible parent” thought process every time my little gal loses her temper (again). The worst (and most counter-productive) advice I’ve gotten so far is to, “…just don’t let your child act like that” or, “Tell her we don’t act like that” or my personal favorite, “Give her the look and she’ll straighten up.” When that (not-suprinslgy) doesn’t work we both just feel worse. sigh….
I’m only with my child for a few hours a day- why does it feel like I spend the majority of that time angry with her?
Angie recently posted..Some day…
Twitter: lilahbility
says:
So, what do I do if she follows me around, screaming and flailing in my “zen space?” ‘Cause my two-year-old takes temper tantrums to a whole new level!
Amanda recently posted..Monthly Recap: What I learned in September 2011
tantrums….sigh…..
mangiabella recently posted..Dolmades & Live Deliciously!
Haha! Adorable photos!
Kennedi Rose at Face and Fitness recently posted..Amazing Short Hairstyles
Twitter: bibsandbaubles
says:
this is my life RIGHT NOW. I completely agree with your hilarious tips! I love the line about “wide open pie hole”. This tantrum you described sounds spot on to my sons “performances”.
Cam | Bibs & Baubles recently posted..Enter the Wu
Love this new series.
Leigh Powell Hines (@Hinessightblog) recently posted..Pack Your Bags: You’re Heading to the WDW Beach Club Resort
I’m another one experiencing this joy at the moment. It would be much easier to find my zen if he was just a little quieter with his screams.
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