What do I do about my son's tantrums?

Question

He's two years old and instead of being calm and trying to express that he wants something, he crys and throws fits. I don't know how to stop this behavior :(

Answer 1

my parents put me in a cold shower everytime id act like that. it worked immediatley.

Answer 2

First off, is your son able to communicate his wants? My 2 y.o. has a severe speech delay and before he got into therapy, he would scream, throw fits and bite to get his point across.

If your son is able to communicate then he needs to learn that tantrum-throwing is unacceptable behavior. When he starts to throw one, get down on his level and look him right in the face (kids tend to listen better and know you are serious when you are on their level) and tell him that tantrums are unacceptable and that if he continues with his "naughty" behavior, he will make a trip to the "naughty" corner. If he continues, take him to his designated spot and make him sit there (usually 1 minute for every year in age). If he gets out, take him right back and get back on his level and tell him that because he was naughty he has to stay in this spot for 2 minutes. It may take a few times, but pretty soon he will realize that you mean business and will stop. Also, the first few times I put my son in the naughty corner he peed his pants- don't give up- he is just testing you further.

Also, when your son expresses his wants/needs in an acceptable manner, praise him, praise him, praise him and make a big to-do over it. Positive reinforcement of the acceptable behavior is rewarding for you both.

Answer 3

Don't give him negative attention when he's tantrumming. Ignore the tantrums and walk away; even if it's only two steps away with your back turned. Tell him when he stops crying, you'll talk to him. Then when he's quiet (even if it's only 5 seconds) tell him "You're quiet now. Good job! " Then talk to him about his behavior, but keep it short. Two year olds can't pay attention to long tirades. They also may not be able to effectively express themselves, so model the words you think he may be wanting to say. EX: You look mad. You wanted to play with the toys some more, didn't you? We can play again tomorrow, but now it's time to clean up, go to the store, etc.

Answer 4

It's called the terrible twos because they have just begun to comprehend that they have the ability to choose, but they still lack the ability to get what they've chosen. It's a hard time for parents. Most important is to show lots of love even when they're being most unreasonable. Apart from love always being a good idea (especially with your children), this will avoid complications that could make their behavior more long-lasting.

Good luck and you're blessed even when it's hard.

Answer 5

He is two and he is not going to stop until he can communicate with you. If your lucky the tantrums will stop. My daughter is three and she is still a pushy little monster, but only to her dad. She tries with me every now and then but I stop that as soon as it starts.

Your going to have to be patient and learn to possibly get his attention on other things when he gets upset. NOT FOOD! That seems to be the easiest thing for parents to do is bribe a kid with food. Its tempting, I know. I've caught myself doing it a few times. Toys are good, even cartoons, its also a great time to start washable crayons.

It's honestly going to take time until you both can understand each other.

I know what my daughter is saying or wants when nobody, including her dad, can decipher.

Answer 6

Well ...try to calm him down first. if he throws a temper tantrum tell him to stop crying first. if he still goes on then put him in time out. don't give him what he needs just to calm him down. he needs to understand that he has to first stop crying. be consistent.

Answer 7

It must be real frustrating to be two years old and not be able to completely communicate what you want or feel. To want something and not understand why you cannot have it. When my 3 1/2 does it I just ignore him. I tell him that when he is through with his attitude he can come and talk to me and tell me what he wants. Believe it or not it works, He now communicates more effectively but of course he still hisses and snorts when he does not get what he wants. To this I just ignore him. When he sees that , he stops and just goes back to his regular self. These beautiful , innocent kids of ours can be real smart and will play us and twist us around their cute little finger if we allow them,So as adults let us be aware of these little tyrants and act accordingly.

Answer 8

very calmly put him somewhere where he can kick and scream to his hearts' content, but do not pay any attention to him and do not try appeasing him and absolutely do not give in to what it is he wants. if you're in a restaurant, pick him up and take him outside until he's done., even if that means sacrificing your time with the rest of the party. if you in a store take him to a restroom and wait 'til he's done. if he doesn't stop, time to go home. in any case, once he is calm, explain to him that he is not to behave that way and make sure he apologizes. and always, always, always be consistent.

Answer 9

whenever my daughter throws a tantrum i tend to ignore her and walk away. i try to instill the fact that kicking and screaming is not going to get you what you want in life. it works everytime because she notices that no one is paying attention and she eventually stops.

Answer 10

Just make sure you don't give him what he wants. Let him have his tantrum and leave him alone. He will quickly learn that the trantrum gets him nothing, not even your attention, and he'll grow out of them.

Answer 11

That's why it's called "the terrible twos"!

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