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Saturday, October 29, 2011

Article: Taming Tantrums

“Teaching kids to control their emotions is huge," ...... "We can't take away their feelings, but we can control how they communicate them to us. This is something that has to be taught though."
The question then becomes... how do we teach them that?
How do you get through to a 3 year old right in the middle of a tantrum?

I found this really great article that teaches us just that! 
and you'd be surprised at how simple the concept really is. 

Here's a couple of my favorite quotes from the article:


"While it might be hard to remember in the heat of the moment, the ultimate goal of the parent shouldn’t be to punish, but rather to teach. When a child is in tears over a parents' refusal to drive thru McDonald's, or screaming and flailing around when the TV is turned off, it’s actually a golden opportunity to show them how to regulate their own emotions."

“Calmly lift and move the child from one location to another (e.g., floor to a couch). {Click HERE for my post about setting up a CALM COUCH in your home. It would be the perfect place for your child to go in this scenario}This shows you are in control of the situation," he said. "You might pat them on the back and gently tell them they seem frustrated at the moment but when they are calmed down you'd love to talk with them. This labels their feelings, shows empathy, but requires a change in their behavior before you will give them your full attention. Your calm and compassionate approach will also serve as a reference for children who will then be better able to calm themselves.

I posted another great article a while ago called:
Click on the link above to learn how to teach your children to identify and cope with their emotions 


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