What is a temper tantrum?
All children get angry from time to time. A temper tantrum is an extreme, angry outburst. They usually happen in children 1 to 4 years old.
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Children may scream, cry, roll on the floor, throw things, or stomp their feet
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Some hold their breath and turn red
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Most temper tantrums happen when a child is frustrated
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Some children have temper tantrums to get attention, get something from you, or avoid doing something
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Tantrums are more likely when children are hungry or tired
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Usually temper tantrums last less than 15 minutes
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Use time-out or distract your child with another activity to stop temper tantrums
How can I help my child during a temper tantrum?
A temper tantrum eventually stops, but you can get very frustrated until it does. You usually can't reason with a child during a tantrum. And scolding them doesn't make it stop. Help your child calm down by doing the following:
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First, try to calm yourself
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Try to distract your child, but don't give them the thing they're trying to get
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If distraction doesn't work, move the child to a different room or space
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At home, a time-out chair may be a good location
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Have your child sit in the time-out chair, 1 minute for each year of your child's age (for example, 1 minute for 1-year-old, 5 minutes for 5-year-old)
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Don’t talk or look at your child while in time-out
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After time is up, remind your child why the time-out was needed
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Start your child in a new activity and go out of your way to praise any good behavior
Don't give in to what your child wants while having a tantrum. Giving in only teaches your child that tantrums work.
