Articles
‹‹ Return to all Child Growth & Development resources
Tantrum control for the terrible twos
Many first-time parents have been warned about the mysterious "terrible twos," which is a time where happy babies suddenly turn into tantrum-throwing 2-year-olds. While there isn't conclusive proof that this phase happens to every child, many toddlers do experience difficult times around this age because of their desire to communicate and their inability to do so, a shortfall which can be attributed to their ongoing development. Here are some helpful tips for how child care professionals can handle a toddler's tantrum:
- Keep calm: While your first reaction may be to act quickly and react negatively toward their tantrum, try to set a positive, calm example for screaming toddlers instead. If you are acting calmly, they may be curious as to why you aren't reacting the way they had hoped, which could help the tantrum to end sooner rather than later.
- Focus their attention elsewhere: Try to engage them in a fun, interactive activity or move them to another room in order to appeal to their shorter attention span. If they see that they could have more fun doing something else, they may begin to forget why they were so upset in the first place.
- Comfort them: At times, toddlers may throw extremely disruptive tantrums that can distract or even cause harm to their peers. In order to keep everyone safe and happy, offer distressed children a seat next to you so you can comfort them. However, if children become even more challenging, it may be time to relocate them to another room to cool down.
If you are a child care professional interested in child care training online, contact ProSolutions Training today for more information.
