If you couldn’t tell by the title of this post I have a screaming child next to me. I’m on the verge of going to find my own corner to scream in. It’s been one of those days…weeks…months…ok, years. He’s very four. I may have thrown the idea of selling him to the zoo around a few times today. It certainly would make for a less stressful night, but I guess I might miss the screaming after a few days…maybe.
Kids are hard and it seems they are always harder during this time of year. With all of the excitement of the holidays, they get worn out easily, which means there are far more temper tantrums in the middle of the store, restaurant, and just about everywhere in between. Take a deep breath and don’t give in. Consistency is key in the frequency of meltdowns. If your children know that you are going to give in after a few minutes of screaming they’ll just keep going until they get what they want. Sometimes you have to just let them scream it out. I have been known to take Logan back out to the car and let him scream until he’s ready to be good and go back into the store. Sometimes we make it back in and sometimes we don’t, it depends on how quickly our ears start ringing. Regardless, he knows if he’s going to scream he’s not going to get what he wants period.
Temper tantrums are miserable for everybody, but it is something we all deal with as parents. It’s part of growing up and learning how to express yourself. They haven’t learned how to tell you exactly what they are feeling, so they scream and cry instead. It’s natural to get frustrated by this, especially when you have a million eyes on you as your child is sprawled out across the grocery store floor, but remember your child is just trying to tell you he’s upset in the only way he knows how. As your child gets a little older, talk to them about other outlets. Talk to them about how they are feeling and why and tell them appropriate ways to deal with that. For example, “I can tell you were really mad when your sister took that toy from you. It’s ok to be mad, but it’s not ok to hit your sister. Next time let’s use our words so that Mommy can make it better instead.” Let your child know that you understand what they are feeling, but also let them know what is ok and what isn’t. Stand your ground and take a deep breath. No temper tantrum can last forever!