The Meltdown

I saw an article this morning about temper tantrums, and I dove right in hoping for some solutions.  Are we facing temper tantrums at our house?  Oh yes!  Are we at a loss for how to respond?  Definitely.

The Meltdown…it sounds like an oh-so-fabulous decadent dessert dripping in chocolate.  Not so much.  “The Meltdown” is a dramatic performance exhibited in toddlers struggling to appropriately share their emotions in a socially accepted way.  This is not exclusive to toddlers.  Adults may suffer from them as well.  Regardless, temper tantrums have the ability to possess my four year old daughter Caroline, and they are quite gripping.  Here’s how they play out.

Me: Would you like milk or juice buddy?
Caroline:  Milk
Me: Great….here’s your milk.
Caroline:  AHHHHH!  NOOOOO!!!  I SAID JUICE!!!!  I WILL NEVER DRINK MILK.  AHHHHHH!  (Cue Caroline to fall to floor, tears gushing, and arms flailing.  For extra drama, roll eyes excessively and gasp for air.)  Cue Mommy to search for white flag in surrender.

Good times.  I know it’s how you respond that dictates how temper tantrums are resolved and prevented.  I have not mastered the appropriate response.  :)  We have a “naughty step,“ which is comparable to a “time out chair”.  It doesn’t work.  I’ve heard to ignore temper tantrums.  If that worked for us, I would not be writing about this today.  So—what do you do to tackle temper tantrums with toddlers?  What works at your house?  Please share in the comments sections, because I’d love to hear from you!

Here’s the article…
http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/02/21/toddlers.temper.tantrums.parenting/index.html# 

Have a great day!
Ellie