For a lot of moms and dads, tantrums are the worst. It’s really hard to calm down your child, especially if they’re having a particularly intense or emotional tantrum. For the most part, you just have to wait for your child to calm down.
But in some cases, such as if you’re in a public place, or in an important event, you can’t just wait for your child to calm themselves down. So why not try out these ‘magic words’ to calm them down?
1. I know what you want, but…
Most of the time, tantrums happen whenever your kid wants something, but they couldn’t have it for one reason or another. While you can outright tell them that they’re not allowed to have something, you should instead start it off by acknowledging their feelings.
Which is why saying “I know what you want, but…” helps make them feel that you know what they’re feeling, and that you’re trying to reason with them. Empathy is always important, especially when it comes to your kids.
2. Hey, look at this!
Another way to keep your child’s tantrum in check would be to distract them. You can use a toy, food, or anything that might pique their interest or distract them from their tantrum.
Thankfully, kids have pretty short attention spans, so if you can distract them with something that they like, you can use this strategy to quickly stop any tantrums. You can also do this beforehand if you think that they might have a tantrum, or if you see the signs.
3. Let’s get silly!
Another good way to stop tantrums would be to act silly or make your kid laugh. You can try tickling your kid, put on a funny face, or make funny sounds to try and get their mind off whatever’s causing their tantrum.
Toddlers laugh pretty quickly, so if you can catch their attention, then you can easily distract them from their tantrum!
4. Halika, let’s walk outside!
Sometimes, to get your kid’s mind off whatever’s causing them to have a tantrum, you can take them outside, where you can do other activities to get help them calm down.
It’s not only a good way to stop a tantrum, but it’s always good to make sure that your kid also spends time outdoors, as it can help their development, and help them learn a lot more about the world around them.
5. Do you want a hug?
Sometimes all your kid needs to calm down is some TLC! So instead of trying to reason or talk to them, you can just try to give them a nice ‘ol hug to calm them down.
A hug really works wonders, since it makes your child feel loved, and it’s also very therapeutic for both you and your child. So even if you’re a bit irritated at your child’s tantrums, why not try giving them a hug? Maybe it’s just what they’re looking for.
Sources: parents.com, supernanny.co.uk, toddlerapproved.com, parents.com
READ: Parenting tips: Sure-fire ways to prevent your kids from having temper tantrums!
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