Tantrums

Dealing with tantrums can be very difficult and embarrassing. How you deal with it is very important for future behavior.

• Do not try to reason with your child

• Remove them from the situation

• Make sure they do not have an audience

• Let the tantrum run its course

If the tantrum is allowed to run its course without positive or negative reinforcement, then it is less likely to happen again. In practise this means that you should not react strongly but simply remove the child to a quiet area. If you are at someone else's house, use of a bedroom or other room where no one is around.

If you are at the shops or other public places, look for a quiet area such as a family or wheelchair accessible bathroom or go to your car. Make sure they are safe if they have a tendency to hit things or bang their head. Let the tantrum burn out without reacting to it. This lack or reaction and audience will reduce the changes that it will happen again and reduce the intensity if it does.

Tantrums are more likely to happen when your child is least able to cope. Being tired or hungry often makes a tantrum more likely to happen.

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