Why does my toddler fly into tantrum so easily?
Imagine a world where you didn’t have any filters over your feelings when you got angry, frustrated, exhausted. You probably wouldn’t be much fun to be around. On the top of that, you were unable to participate in a world of interesting and tempting activities.
Your toddler is caught in the same dilemma of craving the independence of older kids and needing the nurturing and coddling of babies at the same time. They have a powerful drive to break out on their own and explore. On the other hand, they still might not have a realistic sense of their limits and don’t k now what’s unsafe or unreasonable. They see older kids doing what they would like to do and when it is restricted by their physical limits or by someone else, it gets maddening.
Temper tantrums are a normal part of a child’s emotional development. They are on their peak between ages 2 and 3, and start diminishing by the age of 4. These tantrums ted to occur more often when the kid is hungry, exhausted or experiencing some kind of stress, it simply pushes the child over the edge. These outbursts are the best way your toddler expresses his/her strong feelings and emotions. They cant yet think through emotions, they just react. The toddler also lacks the language skills to express complicated feelings with words. A tantrum is probably their way of asking for help.
A tantrum may pass quickly or last for a long time. Sometimes, the child may even whimper or whine, or might even wail loudly, scream or kick in anger. Its not uncommon for toddlers to have breath-holding spells, which are nothing to worry about as the breathing reflexes automatically kick in. If your child holds their breath long enough to reach the point of fainting, you should discuss the situation with your pediatrician.
Its almost impossible to prevent your child’s tantrums. Allowing your child to make his/her own decisions by offering choices can help, as does having consistent limits so that your child knows that when you say “no”, you actually mean it. When tantrums erupt, the parents need to stay calm themselves. They need to offer gentle comfort, and try not to go overboard with fussing and responding which might just end up adding fuel to the fire, as many toddlers enjoy the added attention. It is better to be matter of fact and move on. In some cases, distraction or humor can change the course of when the tension is beginning to build.
