
In a word, yes. Tantrums are periods of angry outbursts or behaviour ranging from whining and crying to screaming, kicking, hitting, and breath-holding spells. The good news is - they are common and a standard part of a child's development.
1. Toddler tantrums can stress the calmest parent.
Whether your child's got the terrible twos, bedtime blues or the dreaded public tantrum, here's how to cope.
2. Why do tantrums happen
Tantrums come from your child not getting what they want. Think of tantrums as their way of telling you they're upset and frustrated.
3. Tantrum Facts:
When do they start?
Tantrums usually start when children are around 18 months old and happen between the ages of one to three. They're equally common in boys and girls.
Some children have tantrums super often and others rarely have them.
When will they end?
When your little one starts to talk more, they'll be less prone to tantrums. Tantrums are less common once they reach four years old.
What causes toddler tantrums?
The reasons are many, but the underlying issue is that a child is expressing an emotion which is 'too big', unknown, unmanageable, and overwhelming. It could be frustration, a desire to be more independent, a scary new experience. Some children might also have a tantrum as a way to be 'seen', and to get the attention they crave.
Are they serious?
Yes, they are! No matter how trivial the reason for the tantrum may seem to you, it is a real and important feeling to your child.
The Arc of The Tantrum in 5 stages

1.NORMAL
At first, there’s no tantrum, though perhaps there’s some pre-disposition.
2.ESCALATION
Something triggers strong, upset feelings, after which tantrum behaviors begin and increase (we call this escalation.)
3.DYSREGULATION ZONE
When tantrum behaviors reach their max, we call that state dysregulation, because the higher functioning parts of the brain are basically off-line. A child is in a "flight-fight-freeze" state.
4.CALMING DOWN
Hopefully, children don’t stay in that state of dysregulation for very long, and will naturally begin to calm down over time
5.BACK TO NORMAL
Eventually, the brain and body return to a ‘baseline’ state of normal... whatever that looks like for that individual child.
How to manage tantrums?

Sometimes the best thing to do is just be present and acknowledge their feelings. Teaching children self-control is all about guiding them through emotions and actions.
1. Verbalise both what they can't do and what they can:
For example: "When I'm angry, I can't hit my brother, but I can take deep breaths or squeeze a special pillow."
2. Name Emotion:
Two-year-olds are still developing their expressive language skills and are more likely to scream in frustration than say anything. Parents can "listen" to children's behaviour and then help them put a name to their emotions. It might sound something like this:

"You are sad. You had to leave the park, and you are crying because you still wanted to play."
"You are angry! Your brother knocked your tower down, and you are yelling because you feel ANGRY." "Look at your smile! You are happy that you got to pet that soft, cute puppy."
Have questions about our educational approach?
Contact us at The House of Learning Nursery we're happy to help!
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