Riddhi Deorah, a certified parenting coach, walks through how to understand why toddlers have tantrums, prevent them before they start, and manage meltdowns when they happen. She covers what's actually going on in a child's brain during a tantrum and gives parents concrete steps to stay calm and respond instead of react.
Tantrums and meltdowns. Every parent has been there. They can be so stressful, frustrating, and sometimes even embarrassing. By the end of this video, you will have practical tools and techniques to manage these challenging moments with confidence and calm down. Tantrums and meltdowns. Every parent has been there. They can be so stressful, frustrating, and sometimes even embarrassing. But don't worry, you're not alone. In today's video, we'll explore effective strategies to handle tantrums and meltdowns like a pro. And today we'll dive deep into the world of toddler tantrums and meltdowns. By the end of this video, you will have practical tools and techniques to manage these challenging moments with confidence and calm. I've divided this video into four parts. In part one, we'll understand what are tantrums and meltdowns. In part two, we'll discuss some prevention techniques that we can use and reduce the chances of tantrums. In part three, we'll discuss managing tantrums in the moment. And in the last and the final part, we'll discuss some post Tantrum strategies Before I start sharing all this with you, I I will quickly tell you a little about myself in just one line. I am Riddhi Devra, a certified parenting coach on a mission to help mothers build happy families so that we can build a happy nation together. So first, let's understand what are tantrums and meltdowns. Tantrums are expressions of frustration, anger or sadness. They are a normal part of child's development, especially for toddlers who are still learning to navigate their emotions. Our children have some underlying beliefs like no one should say no to me, I should always be the best at everything, I should come first at every day and my life should be super comfortable. Now, when these beliefs are not met, they express emotions. Now our children have small emotional bags and they can't hold on to all of these emotions. These emotions then manifest on the outside as behavior, which we call tantrums. Meltdowns, on the other hand, are intense emotional responses usually triggered by sensory overload like hunger or exhaustion. Recognizing the difference can help you respond more effectively. Common triggers include tiredness, hunger, overstimulation, or not getting what they really want. Understanding these triggers can help you anticipate the and prevent some meltdowns. Now let's talk about prevention techniques. Here are some strategies to minimize the chances of tantrums and meltdowns. First, make sure that you maintain a routine which is consistent. Daily schedules will help children know what to expect, reducing their anxiety and Frustration. Children are less reactive when there is an element of predictability in their days. Ensure adequate sleep. A well rested child is less likely to have meltdowns. Establish a calming bedtime routine. Also, keep some healthy snacks handy to avoid hunger induced tantrums. I usually have some fox nuts, homemade banana chips and some dry fruits in small containers in my living room. Anytime I feel that my son is getting hungry, I give some snacks to him immediately. Preparing for tantrums Next, we also need to prepare for transitions. Give your child a heads up before changing activities. Use timers or countdowns. For example, if you want your child to stop watching the screen, you give a heads up 10 minutes in advance. If you think your child takes more time to understand, then you can start 20 minutes before. Also offer choices. Giving your child a sense of control can reduce power struggles. Simple choices like do you want to wear the red shirt or the blue shirt can make a big difference. Implementing these strategies can create a more stable environment for your child, making them feel more secure and less likely to have emotional outbursts. Even with the best strategies and techniques, tantrums will still happen. Here's how to handle them effectively. Make sure you stay calm. Your child is always looking up to you for cues on how to react, so staying calm can help de escalate the situation. Take deep breaths and speak softly. Your calmness can help soothe your child. You getting angry or trying to lecture your child will only drain the energy from your child and not help your child at all. Acknowledge their feelings. Let your child know and understand that you can completely feel their emotions so you can say things like I see you're feeling upset because we can't stay at the park. Distract and redirect your child. Gently divert their attention to a different activity or object. Look at this fun toy. Use something that is more interesting to redirect your child or to distract your child. For example, if your child is playing with the AC remote and you want to take that back from your child, then give him a squishy ball instead. You giving something less interesting as compared to the AC remote will definitely not work. Then you can also use timeouts and not all the time, but sparingly. For older kids, a brief timeout can help them calm down, but use it very judiciously and not as a punishment. Keep it maximum two to three minutes and this will allow your child to calm down and understand what they could have done differently. You can watch my video on how to discipline your child where I share in detail on how you can use the timeout strategy more effectively. Then of course, stay close. Be present and offer comfort, but give them space if they need it. Sometimes a comforting hug can work wonders. During a tantrum, your child is going through a lot of pain. Focusing on their pain and emotions and not of their behavior is crucial in the moment. Remember, it's about helping your child navigate the emotions and teaching them appropriate ways to express themselves. And now coming to the final part where I'm going to share with you some post Tantrum Strategies Once the tantrum is over, it's important to reconnect with your child, reassure them of your love and support, talk about what happened in simple terms, and discuss better ways to handle similar situations in the future. Use this moment to teach and guide. Praise them for calming down and encourage positive behavior. Tantrums and meltdowns are a normal part of childhood. By understanding the triggers, using prevention strategies, and managing them calmly, you can navigate these moments with confidence. Remember, you're not alone and every parent goes through these challenges. I really hope that you found this video useful and now tantrums and meltdowns will no longer be such a big problem for you. If you found it useful, make sure you give it a thumbs up and subscribe to my channel for more such parenting tips. And also make sure that you share your own tant handling strategies in the comments below. And be sure that you come back next week for a video. And the topic for that video is going to be how to manage screen time for children. This is a very popular question that a lot of mothers keep asking me and I've made a very detailed video on this, so make sure you do not miss this. I want to keep creating such easy, simple parenting content for you to make your life easy as a mother, easy as a parent so that you can truly enjoy this journey. Happy parenting and I'll see you next time. Thank you so much.
