Build Grouchy Time Into Your Toddler’s Day Parents Families.com

Build Grouchy Time Into Your Toddler’s Day

If you have a toddler you are probably all too familiar with the temper tantrum. You may also have a child who insists on throwing a tantrum at the most inopportune time, say for instance in the morning while you are trying to get the kid off to daycare or preschool and yourself off to work. What can you do to make sure you’re not rushing everyday?

Parenting expert and columnist John Redmond offered this advice to a mother who was at her wits end about how to handle the daily early morning tantrums her daughter was throwing. The mother wrote in and asked for advice about what she could possibly do to get her daughter not to have these tantrums every morning. The 3-year-old was throwing a tantrum each morning for about 30 minutes straight. She would start immediately after the parents would wake her up. Because of the screaming and the child’s lack of cooperation, the mother ended up having to rush around every morning just to get out the house on time.

Redmond’s advice was so simple but when you hear it you will see how effective it can be. His advice is that the mother should wake the child up 30 minutes early, leave the room and let her have her tantrum. Once the tantrum has run its course, the mother should then return to the child’s room and make an enthusiastic remark like, “My what a beautiful day it is!” Then she should begin the preparations for preschool as if the tantrum didn’t happen. He calls this grouchy time. It’s a good idea for parents to build this time into their toddler’s routine. Let’s face it, I know sometimes I don’t want to get up in the morning and I feel like having my own tantrum so I can imagine what it’s like for a child. They have their own agendas and we have ours and let’s face it, the two hardly , if ever, are the same.

So remember to build some grouchy time into not only your toddler’s routine but older kids as well. Always give yourself a little wiggle room so that you’re not running around like the proverbial chicken with her head cut off trying to get out the door on time.