Toddler Tantrums are a Child’s Cry for Attention

Raising children today is a strategy and has so many dimensions and insights—not just from the granny at home but from psychologists and child-development experts.

I often wonder what our mothers and grandmothers did. Did they have a Google or Dr. Sears to consult? Basically life was different. Most moms were stay-at-home and most children grew up in homes filled with brothers and sisters.

Many parents today speak about toddlers throwing tantrums. Did you know all toddler tantrums do not require punishments like “stand in a corner” or the withdrawal of treats. Parents need to be able to differentiate the kind of tantrum; most often it is just a cry for attention.

Be a parent not a military ruler

Most kids just need love and understanding. One does not always need to follow a rule-book on how a child must be raised or disciplined. Obedience and such should not assume giant proportions in life. Many toddlers do not know how to convey what they need and resort to toddler tantrums.

When you don the mantle of parenthood you need to bend down to the child’s level and view life. Make an effort to live life according to the comfort level of the toddler; most young ones like a slow pace and cannot cope with being dragged from one activity to the next or around a mall.

Allow the toddler to eat and sleep well and spend lots of time just bonding with the child. When a toddler tantrum occurs find out whether it’s just to get his or her own way or is there a deeper reason.

Very often a toddler is just frightened or tired or hungry or just feeling blue. Change the routine to adapt to the toddler’s needs. Even my son was demanding. There were days when I called up my boss and said “The little one needs me today so I won’t be able to come in to work.”

Learn how to prioritize, these days one can complete work assignments from home when the toddler has got over his or her moment of upset and is asleep.

Toddler Tantrums – Love and trust soothes

Learn all you can about modern methods of parenting. But try and follow your own instinct. Remember you know your child best and so you are really the best judge of things. Learn how to “talk” to the toddler and let the child know you are there always. Find ways for the child to share why he or she is upset.

The easiest way is to sit down with the child, play some soothing music or croon a familiar song and allow the “storm” to abate. Find out the reason for the toddler tantrum: is the child ill, bored, scared of school or friends, or just hyper on a piece of chocolate.

Identify the irritant and then make all efforts to erase it. Be loving and firm with the child and the child will outgrow the toddler tantrums stage.

Every little one needs an anchor—a mom or dad he or she can lean on and share their woes. The world of a toddler is quite different from an adult one and parents really need to have deep insight.

If you have difficulty communicating with kids, read our post on – How to talk to kids