Every parent has been there, just about… When you’re in the supermarket and your little one starts kicking and screaming and there’s just no apparent way to end the tears.
But why do toddlers have tantrums and what can you do to help them?
In the video below, we've put together a handy guide to help you understand and hopefully cope with toddler tantrums.
You’ve gone into the shop because your kid wants spaghetti hoops. You pick the one they like, and they start screaming. “No Daddy, NO NO NO!” Do they want the letters, the cartoon ones in the blue tin, the red tin, the ones they once had at nan's…?
None of these tins will stop them crying, throwing a massive strop and saying "no no no!" And everyone is staring, and it makes you just want to scream - "AAARGGHH!
"Look, don’t beat yourself up. Kids have tantrums -girls and boys, from around 18 months old. It’s hard to know why they start. Most tantrums are them communicating.
Often: I'm tired, I'm frustrated. They just want to express themselves, but don’t always know the words yet.
The good news is, tantrums should as your child learns to speak more - hopefully by the time they're four.
Phew! So, if your kid’s really kicking off, what can you do?
Keep calm, take a deep breath, (like you often do as a parent!)
Stay close to your child, and talk to them in a calming voice. Rather than shutting them down, by saying “be quiet”, or “stop just stop!”, get down to their level, talk to them gently, to understand why they’re having an outburst.
Ask them one or two simple questions like: “Are you hungry? Tired">