He is full of personality, and he definitely knows exactly what he wants. And he has no problem letting us know.
Arched back, red face, clenched fists. And the screams!
Frustration at its finest!
So how do you deal with a 10 month old's temper tantrums, you ask?
Well, I'm no expert. But the hubs and I are figuring out what works for us.
1. Distract, distract, distract! Kid is not throwing temper tantrums to get what he wants. Well. He is. But it's not like he is a two year old that understands all that stuff, yet. He's just a frustrated little boy that can't put into words what he is feeling (or thinking). Distracting him with a toy or his sippy cup has been extremely helpful
2. Consistency. As with anything in parenting, consistency is key. If we don't want him to play with the TV remote, don't let him play with it even one time. If he plays with it once, he will think it's a toy and can play with it all the time.
3. Stick to your guns. Don't give in if the tantrum continues. Be strong. Taking the remote away from him, and then giving it back so he'll stop crying is exactly what you don't want to do. It will reinforce the tantrum. And then he'll learn that throwing a tantrum equals getting what he wants. And that is bad news bears.
4. Be observant. Kid's tantrums are because he is frustrated. We mentally keep track of what triggers his tantrums and are mindful of that. He once got a hold of Daddy's iPad and started chewing on it. Of course, he screamed when we took it away. Not because he wanted the iPad, but because his teeth hurt and he needed comfort. We handed him one of his hard plastic toys. Straight to the mouth it went and the tantrum was over.
We're coming to realize that Kid is frustrated with not being able to communicate with us. We started some basic baby signing a few months back, but are realizing the necessity of it. If we work more at those signs, giving Kid a way to communicate with us, I think a lot of the tantrums can be avoided.
These are some great tips - many of them are easier said then done. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThey are definitely easier said than done! And (for now) we've left the screaming tantrum stage. I'm sure we'll be hit with it again in a few months!
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