My toddler has turned into a terror recently. She’s an opinionated, stubborn, and very vocal little girl that isn’t afraid to let the world knows what she thinks – no matter where we are. Just yesterday she decided to have a meltdown in the grocery store, flopping on the floor and kicking her pink-clad little feet because I put the jar of spaghetti sauce into the cart. Apparently, she wanted to do that.
This isn’t my first rodeo; the four year old hit the tantrum stage around this age too. While I want to slink away and hide when it’s my little people making this kind of scene, the truth is – it’s my job to teach them how to control their emotions and understand how the world works.
Even the best behaved toddler has the occasional temper tantrum. Tantrums can range from whining and crying to screaming, kicking, hitting, and breath holding. My son was a head banger - he would hit his head on the floor any time he got too upset. Temper tantrums are just as common in boys as girls, and usually start happening between 1 and 3. Some kids have tantrums regularly, while for other children, tantrums may be rare. Some kids are more prone to throwing a temper tantrum than others. Just as some adults are more agreeable than others, the same goes for toddlers.
A toddler’s duty is trying to master the world, so when they aren't able to accomplish something, they often use one of the only tools at their disposal for venting frustration - a tantrum.
Basically, a toddler will act out when they are tired, hungry, uncomfortable, or needing attention. And by "needing attention," I mean just that. We all need to be seen and heard; toddlers are often overlooked because they are so small. Take the time to listen to them, whether you are simply following their cues or answering all of their "Why?"'s (and there will be plenty!) - Make sure they know that they are important to you!
The second year of a child's life is often dubbed, "The Terrible Twos" because this is when tantrums are most common. Its also the time when children are acquiring language. Toddlers generally understand more than they can express. Imagine if you could understand thousands of words of a language, but only speak around 200 words of that same language. Expressing your emotions, thoughts, and needs would be difficult. That’s what happens with little ones. As your little one's language skills get better, so will the outbursts.
Just remember - you aren't alone. Have some patience, and understand that your toddler isn't being bad for the sake of driving you crazy - they're just trying to figure out how the world works and are frustrated. In the meantime, have a chuckle from the video below - because I know this is what I want to do sometimes:
