Temper Tantrums?

[DSemcho]

How do you all deal with the temper tantrums? My son is about to turn 2 in August, and for the past couple of months he's gotten into slamming his chubby hands against doors when we lock his trike up as a form of time out when he is driving it into the wall. He also tends to throw himself on the floor or into his little table and chair set if I don't give him what he wants. I don't give in, and occasionally swat his bottom (he has a diaper still so he doesn't really feel much). When I'm making dinner he wants to be up my butt in the kitchen so DH tries to distract him in the living room but it doesn't always work.

 

[CRWx]

This is oh so familiar, only my DD is only 15 months she's in a throwing phase at the minute and throws herself on the floor in a style that can only be described as something that belongs on broadway if she doesn't like what is being done/isn't given something/has no said to her. When she throws, I usually say something along the lines of 'erm, excuse me W, we don't do that. We use kind hands, thank you' and usually direct her to pick it up and praise her for picking whatever up although that doesn't relate to your situation, haha.

When she throws herself on the floor I go with 'well that's just a bit silly, isn't it? Let me know when you've finished' and carry on with something else/step away, the more attention I give her, the more she does it.

Generally saying 'no thank you' 'we don't do that' and guiding her on what I'd rather do works. Don't get me wrong though, sometimes the situation is too much and I often just take a step back and let her get on with it, raising my voice slightly if it's gone ok too long usually accompanied with a stern no!

 

[calm]

My two are a bit older, but something that has been helping me is doing what Janet Lansbury says in No Bad Kids which is recognising their emotions. When they have tantrums I say "You're feeling angry aren't you? You want to play with your bike but its time to put it away now" "You're feeling sad with your brother because he took your car". And also giving options "I know you want to play more, but its time to put the toys away and wash our hands. Do you want to get the step or shall I get it? Do you want to get the new soap out of the cupboard? Do you want a green towel or the red one? So basically giving them some control and recognising emotions have helped me. Toddlers find transitions hard so this helps a bit Its not all good, but we are in a better place. My two are in full swing of the terrible twos so big

Oh, and what is supposed to help the most is being in super control of our own emotions. Not raising our voices and seeming unruffled can be hard, but I do notice better results in general if I don't give in to my own emotions.

 

[Bevziibubble]

Mine is 17 months old and has quite violent temper tantrums already where he will headbutt the ground repeatedly, snack me, scratch me etc. I try to talk gently and calmly to him to calm him down but like crwx said, I do find the more attention I give to the tantrum the worse it makes him as he gets even more angry at my efforts to calm him down. I do try to get him into a safe place where he won't headbutt a hard surface if I can.