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Tantrums And The Terrible Two’s
As your toddler heads toward their second birthday, you might notice their personality start to change. They really begin to explore their independence more and more. This is a time that can be so difficult for some parents to deal with. They can’t understand what happened to their sweet, loving child. Days seem to be filled with their child throwing themselves on the floor in a fit of anger while they’re kicking and screaming.
These toys for two year olds are great for helping child development.
Toddlers like to repeat their behavior and sometimes each command you give to them is followed by them saying “no” and full refusal to follow your rules. Each day there’s one meltdown after the other. This is when many parents find themselves in the midst of the terrible two’s.
Without a strategy on how to deal with this stage, you might find yourself frustrated and overwhelmed. One of the best things you can do during this trying time is to just redirect your child. For example, my toddler enjoys touching all of the buttons on the TV. He turns the volume up and down despite the fact that we’ve told him not to. He’s so rough with it, that it’s possible he can break it.
When I tell him no, I say it in a firm manner. Many times this will set him off into a tantrum. Sometimes I pick him up and carry him over to another area in my house and hand him something else. I may offer him his favorite Elmo toy or a book I know he likes. This distracts him and he immediately stops crying and carrying on.
Tantrums are almost completely unavoidable at this age and a normal part of their growth and development. Even though most toddlers are talking, they are still learning how to communicate their needs and they want to gain control of their surroundings. When they aren’t able to do that, they get frustrated. And with that frustration comes aggression. This aggressive behavior is displayed through their temper tantrums. When they get this way they can’t be reasoned with.
The best thing to do is say “you’re upset right now so we will talk later” Then walk away. Never ever a hit a child because of a tantrum or for any other reason. Hitting sends a terrible message to your child by saying that aggressive behavior is acceptable. It also creates an environment of unnecessary fear. Children should not fear their parents.
If your toddler is eating and starts throwing food on the floor, tell them you will take their food away. If you see them throw a toy then tell them to stop or you will take it away. It’s important to be consistent as they will start to see the connection and eventually stop acting out.
Giving your child choices can also lessen their need for control which in turn may help to avoid tantrums and poor behavior. You can offer two different choices during snack time or two different shirts when dressing them. Offering choices will help them to feel important and part of the decision making process.
Each child is different. Some children don’t experience the terrible two’s as much as the terrible three’s. Be patient as well as firm and consistent with your child. This is all normal development for them. When you’re feeling frustrated keep in mind that this too shall pass.
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