Father’s Day without the kids
Spending Father’s Day without the kids can be tough. Read on for alternative ways to spend Father’s Day and still make the day special.
Read moreSooner or later your child is going to throw some sort of tantrum in public and everybody is going to look. Here’s how you can survive.
You’ll never know when it’ll happen.
You’ll never be prepared for it.
But sooner or later your child is going to throw a tantrum in public and it’s going to be epic. Your first instinct will be to reason with them but there’s no reasoning with a child. Particularly when they’re in the midst of a meltdown of Incredible Hulk proportions. Your next instinct will be to stand back and pretend the kid isn’t yours. It’s a smart move, but we hate to say, that won’t work either. At this point in time you’re probably going to want to sit down next to that tantrum throwing bundle of joy and throw a tantrum yourself.
So, how do you survive your child’s public meltdown?
Let’s take a look.
A tantrum, AKA: ‘losing it’, is very common with children between the ages of 1-3. It’s when they cry, scream, run away, kick and yell or refuse to move. They will most likely do this in the most public place possible or at the most inconvenient of times. Usually in front of your fanciest friends or at your work BBQ or picnic. The first thing you need to realise is that your kid isn’t simply a jerk. They’re only little, and being little, they don’t fully know how to express all the big emotions they’re feeling yet.
There’s no logic behind why a child might throw a tantrum. They might throw one because they don’t want the banana they weren’t offered. Or they might throw a tantrum because the dog looked at them funny. They can go from being as calm as a flat ocean, to a ball of rage within seconds stomping around like a tiny T-Rex.
Tantrums can strike without any warning and you need to be ready for them. So, here’s what you can do:
What’s even better than stopping a tantrum is preventing one. Usually when a kid loses it, it’s because of one of four things (or sometimes all four things together).
Sometimes the child might not know why they’re losing it and neither will you. Sometimes the only thing that may help them is a hug. So don’t be stingy with hugs.
If these tantrums are really pushing you to the limit and you don’t know how to cope you can always pick up the phone and call MensLine Australia. We’re available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to help you out with all your mental health and child tantrum throwing dilemmas.
Call us on 1300 78 99 78 or access online counselling.
[1] https://raisingchildren.net.au/toddlers/behaviour/crying-tantrums/tantrums
Spending Father’s Day without the kids can be tough. Read on for alternative ways to spend Father’s Day and still make the day special.
Read moreNo parent ever wants to hear that their child is a victim of a bully. Here are some tips on how to be a good dad and help your kids through this difficult time by recognising bullying and helping put a stop to it (without getting all Clint Eastwood about it). #BullyingNoWay
Read moreDeveloping healthy, honest communication patterns can help build foundations that ensure our families feel supported and can support you.
Read moreThe first four weeks of being a new dad will be one of the scariest times of your life. To make this a little less scary we’ve complied a few tips on how to get through it.
Read more