This means he's been throwing temper tantrums on a daily basis. It's always over something little, like something he can't have, or not wanting to leave the library (this happened to me today).
The tantrums rarely exceed 10-15 minutes and are mostly fussing and crying. A lot of times he'll walk around trying to cry, but giving a horrible performance. Other times it'll be raining tears, and you'll think the world is coming to an end.
How do I handle these tantrums? I ignore him. I should qualify that by saying if he's crying because he wants his water, I'll give him his water. Or, if he's hurt/sick I'll tend to him as needed. His safety will always come first.
But if it's because he can't have that snack before dinner (for example), I'll sit on the couch and tell him I don't play with fussy babies. Then I'll keep on reading, watching TV or whatever I happen to be doing at the time. His tantrum will run its course and he'll get distracted by something else.
When he stops fussing/crying I'll go back to playing with him.
We've found that doing nothing is the best way to handle his little break downs. If we give in even once and give him what he wants, then he'll associate throwing tantrums with getting his way. It sets a bad precedent.
I know it's hard to sit and do nothing while your little one is crying (and sometimes screaming) because they're not getting their way. But parents have to be patient and know that nothing lasts forever.
No comments:
Post a Comment