There is no wrath like that of an angry toddler! From kicking and screaming, to crying and biting, there is not a parent on the planet that does not dread the anger of a little one who is about to lose it.
Chances are that you already know some of the anger triggers. My toddler might go into a melt down if a toy is suddenly taken away, or in today’s case, when the stroller broke and we had to cancel our trip to the park.
Knowing what these triggers are can do a lot to help you understand them and avoid them. For example, if your child can’t last more than 20 minutes in a restaurant, then don’t spend 30 minutes there.
Other common triggers of toddler anger include hunger, thirst, over-stimulation, exhaustion and boredom. Make sure that you eliminate these common triggers when you can by making sure that your toddler is well rested, well fed and has plenty of opportunity to be engaged in the world at his own pace.
Toddlers also take a lot of cues from watching adults. If you tend to have temper tantrums about little things, then it isn’t really right to expect your toddler to be more mature than you are about his own little things.
Sometimes just being listened to and sympathized with can go a long way to reduce the anger trigger. If a toddler hits for example, get down on his level. Grab his hands gently and tell him “no.” Then ask him if he is angry. Teach him to say that he is angry.
Although my toddler wasn’t hitting, he was quite upset about the park and pretty much screamed the whole way home. Fortunately, it was a short ride. When we got home, I took off his shoes, gathered him into my lap and asked him if he was angry. He nodded, so I said, “You are angry because you wanted to go to the park.” Just this little acknowledgment calmed him right down.
You can read more blog posts by Mary Ann Romans here!
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