A temper tantrum is a violent emotional outburst, usually in response to frustration.

Temper tantrums usually appear toward the end of the first year, are most common at age 2 (terrible twos) to 4, and are infrequent after age 5. If tantrums are frequent after age 5, they may persist throughout childhood.

Causes include frustration, tiredness, and hunger. Children also may have temper tantrums to seek attention, obtain something, or avoid doing something. Parents often blame themselves (because of imagined poor parenting) when the actual cause is often a combination of the child's personality, immediate circumstances, and developmentally normal behavior. An underlying mental, physical, or social problem rarely may be the cause but is likely only if tantrums last > 15 min or occur multiple times each day.

Temper tantrums may involve

• Shouting
• Screaming
• Crying
• Thrashing about
• Rolling on the floor
• Stomping
• Throwing things

The child may become red in the face and hit or kick. Some children may voluntarily hold their breath for a few seconds and then resume normal breathing (unlike breath-holding spells, which also can follow crying bouts caused by frustration—see Behavioral Concerns and Problems in Children: Breath-Holding Spells).

Although providing a safe setting for children to compose themselves (eg, a time-out—see Table 1: Behavioral Concerns and Problems in Children: Time-Out Technique) is often effective, many children have difficulty stopping tantrums on their own. In most cases, addressing the source of the tantrum only prolongs it. It is therefore preferable to redirect the child by providing an alternative activity on which to focus. The child may benefit from being removed physically from the situation.

Last full review/revision March 2013 by Stephen Brian Sulkes, MD