How do you handle tantrums?

Meerataila

I make sure not to break anything I don't want to clean up and/or replace.

....What?

We'll just ignore you and move you to a safe place in the store where you can express yourself with wild abandon, as nature dictates :laugh:

Don't worry. The store employees will clean it up. That's what they're there for.

:sad: That stops working when you're tall enough to handcuff!

lizzybathory

i nannied for a two year old. he melted down in public twice. the first time i took him firmly by the hand, led him out of the store, put him in his car seat, brought him home, put him in his room and let him cry it out. we then did nothing the rest of the day but read books. no tv, no outside, no park.

the second time we were at the park and he hit another kid, i admonished him for it and he hit me, and i told him no, you do not hit, i took him firmly by the hand, put him in his car seat, brought him home, put him in his room, let him cry it out, then did nothing for the rest of the day but read books.

he never melted down or hit again. he knew i meant business. he acted out with his mom and dad. but never with me. i could take that kid out for ice cream and he would sit quietly and enjoy his ice cream.

its all in how you react to the melt down. too many adults ignore it, or let it go on. you have to react to it, firmly and with swift action. even if you have a grocery cart full of food, you still need to take that kid firmly out of the cart, put them in their car seat, take them home and put them in their room.

oh and those nasty looks, those are warranted. no one wants to listen to your snotty brat screaming in the store. its annoying, and no i have no sympathy for you. take control of your kid.

Just goes to show that you can't necessarily "teach a kid not to have tantrums" as someone else implied. It's all in how the adults they are interacting with respond and the environment they are in at the time.

This. I've dealt with a lot of tantrum-throwing kids as a secondary caregiver (nanny, day care, babysitter) and even though tantrums get old, I've never been mad at a kid for them - I've been mad at the parents for enabling them this far. I know that most kids do go through a difficult period when they're pretty young, where they have a lot to learn about behavior... I get it. But most of the kids this age I've known with persistent behavior problems are the ones whose parents give in and try to appease them.

Really, being firm and consistent with your kid in not rewarding tantrum behavior is one of the best things you can do for them.

Mikkimeow

i nannied for a two year old. he melted down in public twice. the first time i took him firmly by the hand, led him out of the store, put him in his car seat, brought him home, put him in his room and let him cry it out. we then did nothing the rest of the day but read books. no tv, no outside, no park.

the second time we were at the park and he hit another kid, i admonished him for it and he hit me, and i told him no, you do not hit, i took him firmly by the hand, put him in his car seat, brought him home, put him in his room, let him cry it out, then did nothing for the rest of the day but read books.

he never melted down or hit again. he knew i meant business. he acted out with his mom and dad. but never with me. i could take that kid out for ice cream and he would sit quietly and enjoy his ice cream.

its all in how you react to the melt down. too many adults ignore it, or let it go on. you have to react to it, firmly and with swift action. even if you have a grocery cart full of food, you still need to take that kid firmly out of the cart, put them in their car seat, take them home and put them in their room.

oh and those nasty looks, those are warranted. no one wants to listen to your snotty brat screaming in the store. its annoying, and no i have no sympathy for you. take control of your kid.

I would appreciate it if you didn't call my child a brat.