Toddler tantrums and childhood meltdowns

Screams, tears, slamming doors, thrashing on the floor of the supermarket, or clinging to the slide when it is time the leave the park… Toddler tantrums, temper tantrums, hissy fits and childhood meltdowns can be unexpected and happen for many different reasons. At home a tantrum can be upsetting and in public it is usually embarrassing. So if you are wondering how to deal with toddler tantrums or how to stop temper tantrums it helps to understand what they are and why they occur.

What is a tantrum?

Tantrums, meltdowns or hissy fits can be over almost as quickly as they start. Some are as brief as 20 seconds while an extreme tantrum could go on for hours.

When your child throws a temper tantrum it may include:

• Screaming and yelling
• Crying or holding their breath
• Hitting themselves or others
• Rolling on the floor
• Stamping their feet

Why do kids throw tantrums?

Children throw tantrums for many reasons... but a tantrum is your chance to help your child learn to manage their own frustration and anger, and calm themselves down. When you learn how to stop your child's tantrums, you are giving them very important skills and setting them up to deal with life's challenges.

When your kid is throwing a tantrum it could be a sign they are:

• Frustrated or confused
• Scared or overwhelmed
• Tired or bored
• Hungry and thirsty
• Furious

…or maybe all these things at once!

Read more on this hot topic: How to handle tantrums: try these positive parenting tips