When it comes to public temper tantrums, it can be hard to remain in control and to keep your cool. But being able to maintain a level head will benefit both you and your toddler. This list contains 7 ways to avoid a public meltdown and to get a grip on those embarrassing situations.
Take a deep breath
Pausing for a moment and taking a deep breath is one of the great ways to avoid a public meltdown. This is good practice for both you and your toddler. By teaching your child to recognise and understand their body’s reaction to stress, you can teach your toddler to take a long, slow, deep breath when these symptoms present themselves in the future.
Be communicative with words
This may sound like a simple idea but expressing your feelings to your child will help them to understand how you feel about their behaviour. And when you express your feelings sparingly, it could also have a controlling effect on your child.
Alternatively, using words can also help diffuse the situation. Toddlers under the age of 18 months will find it difficult to express themselves and a lot of this miscommunication can escalate into tantrums. By verbally expressing your toddler’s feelings, you will allow them to feel understood and could potentially avoid a public tantrum.
Recognise your child’s rhythm
Knowing your child’s biological rhythm can be one of the vital ways to avoid a public meltdown. Knowing when your toddler is likely to get grumpy, whine or feel hungry will help you to quickly identify the cause of the issue and remedy it before it has chance to become something bigger.
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Be prepared
There are some scenarios that are basically unavoidable, like a long line at the doctor’s. And although these situations may encourage a public meltdown, there are some simple steps that can be taken to combat them. Be prepared with little tasks that can occupy your child to save them getting bored. Whether it’s a little job or a small activity, planning in advance will work wonders when avoiding a tantrum.
Hire a babysitter
It may seem like a ‘get out of jail free’ card but if you don’t want to take your toddler to the supermarket, then don’t. Hiring a babysitter for an hour or so to deliberately avoid a situation you know will cause mayhem may be exactly what you need. Let’s face it ‒ at the end of the day ‒ you don’t need the added stress.
Inject a bit of comedy
The build up to a tantrum is intense and one of the best ways to avoid a public meltdown is to diffuse the tense situation by being silly or doing something you know will make your child laugh. This will transition the mood your child is feeling by encouraging a different part of their brain to begin functioning.
Time out
Time outs are perhaps one of the most effective ways to manage a toddler’s behaviour. The main advantage of a time out is that you remove yourself from the equation – which is likely to be one of the main reasons why your child is having a tantrum in the first place – and by being on their own, your child will be able to calm down and regroup more efficiently than if they feel like they have an audience.
Resources:
http://www.parents.com/toddlers-preschoolers/discipline/tantrum/preventing-meltdowns/
http://www.aish.com/f/p/6-Ways-to-Avoid-a-Public-Meltdown.html
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