Here are some ideas for handling tantrums when they happen:
- Stay calm (or pretend to!). Take a moment for yourself if you need to.
- Acknowledge your child's strong feelings.
- Wait out the tantrum.
- Take charge when you need to.
- Be consistent and calm in your approach.
The Best Learning Activities for a 20-month-old Baby
- Smear the Colours. Smear the colours is a great way to develop your little one's motor skills.
- Find It For Me.
- Help Me Out.
- Take Your Baby Out.
- Match the Following.
- Prepare a Stew.
- Fun With Flowers.
- Play With Pasta.
If temper tantrums are more severe, lasting longer periods of time, and occurring multiple times per day and/or occurring in a child older than 5 on a regular basis, then it may be time to talk to your pediatrician or get a psychologist involved to help support the family.
- DON'T invalidate your toddler's perspective or emotions.
- DON'T tell your child how to feel.
- DON'T lie to your child to head off a tantrum.
- DON'T say that your child's behavior is making you sad.
- DON'T take tantrums — and the things your child says before or during them — personally.
- DON'T use sarcasm.
Four steps towards discipline and better child behaviour
- Decide on family rules. A good place to start is with 4-5 family rules.
- Be a role model for the behaviour you expect. Children learn by watching what you do.
- Praise your child for good behaviour.
- Set clear limits and consequences.
The terrible twos generally begin anywhere from 18 to 30 months of age, and, despite what the name implies, can last well into the third year of life. While tantrums can certainly still happen after your child turns 3, they often become less frequent by then.
Toddler tantrum tips
- Find out why the tantrum is happening.
- Understand and accept your child's anger.
- Find a distraction.
- Wait for it to stop.
- Don't change your mind.
- Be prepared when you're out shopping.
- Try holding your child firmly until the tantrum passes.
Anger Essential Reads
- Use your words. Help your child learn to use words instead of hitting.
- Walk away. Teach your child to walk away when they feel someone is treating them badly.
- Go to your quiet corner.
- Get physical.
- Breathe out the nasties.
- Ask for help.
Tantrums usually last between two and 15 minutes. Violent tantrums that last longer than 15 minutes may be a sign of a more serious problem.
What to do about it:
- Control the general volume in your house.
- Turn on the tunes.
- Lower your voice.
- Teach the concept of an "inside voice" and an "outside voice." Give a demonstration and examples of where and when they can be used ("You use your inside voice in the house and your outside voice in the backyard").
If your toddler is screaming because she's happy, try not to comment or criticize. But if it's really getting to you, ask her to use her "indoor voice." And lower your voice so she'll have to quiet down to hear you. Make a game out of it.
Tell him what you want rather than what you don't. For instance, say "Touch the kitty gently," instead of "Don't hit the kitty!" Or, "Please sit down," instead of "Don't stand up in your chair." Make some simple rules. Establish a few household rules, communicate them to your child, and enforce them consistently.
A typical 20-month-old has a spoken vocabulary of about 12-15 words, though many children have far more. But even if your child isn't talking in simple sentences yet, she likely understands many more words than she can say.
Activities for your 20 month old toddler
- Nature stew. Skills Developed.
- Floral fun. Skills Developed.
- Potato Stamping. Skills Developed.
- Flying obstacle course. Skills Developed.
- Playing with balls. Balls, balls and more balls!
- Finger paint. Skills Developed.
- Cup hide and seek. Skills Developed.
- Sorting game. Skills Developed.
Your 22-month-old might be kicking a ball, walking backwards and perhaps even balancing on one foot while holding onto a sturdy chair or wall. Soon, they might be able to pedal a tricycle. Speech. They're probably saying 50 words or as many as 100.
New research suggests that yelling at kids can be just as harmful as hitting them; in the two-year study, effects from harsh physical and verbal discipline were found to be frighteningly similar. A child who is yelled at is more likely to exhibit problem behavior, thereby eliciting more yelling.
Tantrums typically peak between the ages of 18–36 months. This is when parents and teachers are likely to see an escalation in the frequency, intensity, and/or duration of tantrums.
Supporting the Tantruming Child
- Stay present, stay calm, stay listening.
- A child will not be able to listen well or rationalize your adult logic in the heat of a tantrum – listen empathetically, offer soothing words.
- Sometimes giving language to the feelings may help your child identify what's happening.
Don't walk away.You don't want your kid to feel abandoned when they're upset, regardless of how irrational they're being. Try simply standing by them calmly when they freak out for bit.
