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Your son has flung himself on the ground and is screaming in horror because you ?broke? his banana. There’s no reasoning with him, because when kids are in full-on tantrum mode, they really aren?t thinking clearly. They?ve been hijacked by the part of the brain that controls our fight-or-flight response. Their body is making them defend and attack rather than think and listen.
That?s what?s going on?so what can you actually do"
Here are 10 suggestions for taming a tantrum:
1. Stay calm. Easy, right" Obviously not. But it?s so, so important. Try counting backwards from 11 to 1 by twos. Breathing and stretching can also be helpful. Remind yourself that your kid isn?t trying to hurt or bother you; what she?s doing is normal. And if you’re really about to lose your temper?try these calming tactics.
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2. Talk less. Tantruming kids can?t hear well or think clearly. Any attempt to reason with them will be largely useless, so focus on using gentle, non-verbal communication rather than words.
3. Control self-talk. The negative things you think to yourself can actually make things worse. If you?re muttering, ?I don?t have time for this? under your breath, it will be ...