Does your child get angry very easily? Know what are "Temper Tantrums"

One of the very common complaints that parents come to me in my OPD practice is that their toddler has started showing angry and aggressive behavior and is becoming increasingly difficult to manage.

The episodes usually involve throwing and breaking household items, screaming, pushing, biting, and lying on the floor.

We call these episodes “Temper Tantrums”

WHICH AGE GROUP IS AFFECTED?

Usually, the toddlers are affected, with ages ranging from 1.5 years to 5 years old.

The episode lasts for an average of 3 minutes and then the child goes back to normal.

After 4-5 years of age, the severity and frequency of such episodes decrease gradually as the child matures.

WHY DO TEMPER TANTRUMS OCCUR?

The episodes are usually triggered by fatigue, illness, and hunger.

The toddlers are an age group who are confused about their desires as they want attention from their parents but they want to have some independence as well.

They are not psychologically mature enough to handle such conflicting emotions.

On top of all this, they have so limited vocabulary that they are unable to express their emotions through speech yet.

They also believe that by throwing tantrums they can get whatever they want easily from their parents.

WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF AN EPISODE?

No tests are required to diagnose temper tantrums, nor are there any medicines required to treat them.

This is because temper tantrums are very benign in nature and they almost always improve as the child gets older and is able to express his feelings better through improved vocabulary.

Treatment however may be required for any kind of injury sustained during the

tantrum episodes.

The steps needed to be taken to terminate an episode can be remembered by the mnemonic "RIDD"

R-Remain Calm. Don’t shout at the child or give punishments.

I-Ignore the tantrum. Leave the child in a safe place till the episode subsides. Do not talk or react until the episode is over.

D-Distract the child. Engage the child in playful activities and amuse him/her.

D- Do say yes for genuine physical needs of the child, like food or sleep but be careful not to give in to unnecessary demands as this may reinforce the behavior.

Please do not force your doctor to prescribe unnecessary medicines just because you paid them to get consultation for the episodes.

HOW TO PREVENT FUTURE EPISODES?

Now that we know how to handle an episode of temper tantrum, we should also know the steps we need to take so that we may be able to prevent such episodes in the future.

The steps that the parents/guardians need to take can be easily remembered by the mnemonic "CALM"

C- Communicate well with the child.

A- Attend to child's needs- like sleep, hunger, etc

L- Let the child share feelings

M- Make nap time and mealtime a regular schedule.

I hope that clears all the doubts about the angry outbursts of emotions from your toddlers. Be rest assured that it is a normal growing-up process and NOT AT ALL due to bad parenting.

If you have any queries feel free to as in the comments.

Regards,

Dr. Zeeshan.