This is the big secret to understanding your toddler
Jesica Rysynski?s toddler was having constant tantrums. Even joyous events like Christmas celebrations and birthday parties could enrage her daughter Amalia.
?Amalia would get angry?very, very, very angry,? says the mom from Peterborough, Ont. ?I thought she was spirited or quick-tempered until I realized that she?s not angry; something is upsetting her.?
At parties, Amalia raged as people sang ?Happy Birthday? because the singing was too loud. At Christmas, she fumed because opening gifts was too exciting.
Amalia was using anger to escape overwhelming situations. Controlling her environment became the key to managing her behaviour.
?I always look for the root cause so I can get in front of it.? says Rysynski, explaining how she anticipated circumstances that might overwhelm her daughter. ?I would tell her, ?If you get upset, come to Mommy for a hug. I?ll take you out.?? Amalia is the youngest of Rysynski?s children. Her oldest child has a sensory processing disorder, and another has ADD. By the time Amalia was born, Rysynski had learned to handle behaviour by understanding the reasons behind it.
Toddlers are tough, but there are proven ways to decode your kid?s actions. Applied behaviour analysis (ABA) uses science to interpret and manage behaviour and understanding these basic principles can guide you through these troublesome toddler years.
Why toddlers act out
ABA defines four functions, or reasons, that drive a toddler?s actions. The functions are sensory, escape, atte...
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