• Temper Tantrums.

    Every parent’s biggest annoyance. Especially when those tantrums happen in public.

    I have read countless books about avoiding temper tantrums, and most of those books I think were a waste of my time. Honestly, there are times when a tantrum is completely unavoidable. They come without warning, and without any reason that you can see. Other times they might be more predictable, and those are easier to divert.

    Just remember when you are hit seemingly out of the blue by one of your child’s storms that you are the adult. It is your job to teach your kids how to grow up and be an adult who doesn’t throw tantrums. I’m sure we all know someone who is a grown adult who throws temper tantrums to rival a three year old. I bet that this person you know is not much fun to be around. So, when faced with these tantrums (even those from adults for that matter) do not give in. It may be tempting if you are in the middle of grocery shopping, or eating dinner, to give in just to stop the show. The only thing you are doing at this point is reinforcing the behavior. Your child learns, “Hey, if I scream and whine in public, mommy gives me whatever I want.” You are guaranteed to see a repeat performance. It’s okay to acknowledge your child’s feelings, saying something along the lines of, “I know this makes you mad, it makes me mad too when…” Then finishing with, “but acting like this doesn’t change the outcome.” Or, “but Mommy has to learn not to act like this, and so do you.” Letting kids know that you get frustrated too helps them learn to see a proper way to cope. Coping is one of the most important things you will ever teach your child, followed by wiping their own tush.