How Do You Prevent Toddler Meltdowns?
The dreaded temper tantrum is a natural occurrence for most children ages 1-3. They don’t call them terrible-twos for nothing. If your little one is prone to shouting when they don’t get their way, don’t fret. There are measures you can take to minimize the amount of temper tantrums you deal with.
1. Turn into a broken record
When your toddler begins to go haywire after being denied a snack before dinner, go into autopilot mode! Respond by repeating the rules over and over until it sticks in his mind. “No snacks before dinner. No snacks before dinner.” (Repeat, repeat, repeat).
Eventually his temper tantrum will simmer down and he’ll have an understanding of why the answer was “no” at the very least. The raging will seem like a lost cause and your lack of response will begin to bore him.
Being consistent with a calm delivery of your selected phrase will lead to eventual acceptance. To the contrary, shouting and pleading with your toddler only encourages more temper tantrums in the future. This gives him the upper hand and allows him to believe meltdowns are a viable solution to his problems.
2. Ignore the chaos
Naturally parents don’t want to “ignore” their child when he or she seems upset. But this method works similarly to the autopilot mode. It’s a practice that ends a habit rather than nurturing it.
Getting worked up along with your toddler usually escalates your toddler’s rage. Instead, try to say things like “Mommy is going to leave you alone until you calm down,” or “Let me know when you’re ready to talk.” Then simply ignore the chaos.
By giving extra attention to temper tantrums you are enabling the poor behavior to continue in the future. By not giving in, we show our children that unruly behavior is not a healthy mode of communication.
3. Hug it out
Ignoring your toddler doesn’t work as well when you are in a public. Hugging it out is a great alternative. Pick up your raging toddler and give them a firm and long hug.
When your child has gone from being upset to blacking out, there isn’t much reasoning they’ll be receptive to. If he’s having a meltdown, he probably can’t hear you anyway. Instead of talking out the issue, wrap your arms around your toddler and give him some hug therapy. Eventually your tight grasp will melt away his frustration.
Human touch is more effective than we give it credit for.
4. Know what makes your toddler tick
Everyone is different, but toddlers have a pretty general array of pet peeves. Over stimulations, boredom, hunger, fatigue and anxiousness are common triggers for toddler meltdowns. If you know your little one will have a difficult time staying out shopping with you all day and running errands, avoid putting him in that situation if you can.
Stick to your child’s feeding schedule as closely as you can so to avoid hunger pains. By being aware of what makes your child tick, you are less likely to experience public temper tantrums.
What are some methods you use to keep your little one stable? Tell us in the comment section below!
Also read: Terrible Twos: Positive Toddler Tips
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Written by Stephanie Parker from Sleepingbaby.com, inventors of the Zipadee-Zip
The motto for Sleeping Baby, makers of the Zipadee-Zip, is: "Inspiring Dreams One Night at A time," and that, in a nutshell, is how it all started…with one little dream that has since become the Parker family's reality. When Brett and Stephanie Parker's daughter, Charlotte, was born, the feeling that welled up inside of them was indescribable; they never realized until first looking into those baby blues of hers that they were even capable of that kind of love.
When it was time to transition baby from swaddling, the Parkers tried every sleep sack on the market and every swaddle weaning trick they could find for nearly two weeks and nothing worked to get baby Charlotte to fall and stay asleep.
Stephanie became determined to restore sleep and sanity to their household and set out to find a solution that would soothe Charlotte's startle reflex and provide her the cozy womb-like environment she loved so much but still give her the freedom to roll over and wiggle around in her crib safely. Out of sheer desperation and exhaustion, the Zipadee-Zip was born. The first Zipadee-Zip(R) Stephanie put together on her little sewing machine worked like magic!
To date tens of thousands of Zipadee-Zips have been sold and all from word-of-mouth marketing. It is so rewarding for the Parkers to see other parents and babies getting the sleep they both need and deserve!
Interested in writing a guest blog for Sleeping Baby? Send your topic idea to pr@sleepingbaby.com.
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