Let’s face it; sometimes, kids can be difficult. But they are only little, and they don’t always have the emotional regulators adults have. It takes a while before they learn how to wait for something or why they can’t touch the hot tap.
But before they learn those skills, it’s our job as a parent to help keep them calm and teach them.
So what can you do to make sure that you are helping them keep calm when things seem to be making them irritable or upset?
Be the model
Parents are where children learn from as they grow up. If they see us losing our temper, getting enraged or upset when something happens – they are more likely to copy that.
One of the catch 22s is that your child screaming a mall down can be frustrating – and the temptation to tell them off and react can be immense.
Instead, it is beneficial to take a moment so you can take a level-headed and helpful approach.
Sarcastic comments, picking at your partner, or making rude comments about other people are also things that are easily picked up and parroted back to you.
Suppose you are a typically calm person, and you feel that your child isn’t just having natural frustrated reactions to things. In that case, you can seek professional advice and seek an odd diagnosis or another diagnosis that can help you and your child.
Dance
Sometimes there is nothing to do but dance, so if you are home and your child has a tantrum, it’s time to boogie if nothing else has worked.
Put some lively and happy music on, and just dance. You will be able to dance away some of the frustration, and they might join you and dance theirs away.
This is such a simple technique and can help to break the tension.
Ask
You can ask your child what you can do to help them. This only works for little ones over two years or who can respond with what they need or want from you.
Ask your child how you can make it better, ask them if there is a way you can help, or ask them if they like orange monsters or blue bunnies.
Anything that can help them focus on something. Sometimes in the middle of being upset and in a tantrum, they might lose track of what it was that made them angry or upset in the first place.
Asking a question after a few moments can sometimes give them something to focus on and dissipate the issue.
Hug it out
Even amid the worst tantrum, they have ever had – it might be time to pick them up and hug them until they begin to relax. On average, it takes about 2 minutes of solid hug time for our bodies to be flooded with happy hormones. Those happy hormones can help your child feel loved and safe, and calm.
Raising children with fiery tempers and big personalities isn’t an easy task, but taking a moment to help them process their feelings can make a big difference.
Raising babies is a lot of fun, and we are all doing our best; want some more tips? Read more: Lessons To Teach Your Young Child.
Leave a Reply