Toddlers, Tantrums, And Child Care

Does your toddler have temper tantrums just about everywhere, including in child care? Even though tantrums are frustrating for parents, teachers, and the children who have them, you can help your toddler through this challenging (but completely common) behavior. If you're not sure what to do about your tot's tantrums, take a look at the questions to ask below.

Why Does Your Child Have Tantrums?

Again, tantrums are common behaviors in the toddler years. Your child is not the first, last, or only toddler to have a tantrum at home, daycare, the grocery store, the mall, the park, or anywhere else. While screaming, crying, and kicking, or other physical behaviors certainly aren't desirable, the tantrum phase won't last forever.

It's likely that your child will outgrow their tantrums. But this doesn't mean you need to wait until they're in preschool, kindergarten, or even elementary school for the behaviors to stop. Before you can start to help your child through this rough patch, you need to know what causes the tantrums. 

Every child is different and may have tantrums for different reasons. But there are some common triggers. These include lack of sleep, hunger, illness, and frustration. Unlike older children, toddlers don't always have the developmental ability to express their thoughts and feelings verbally. This can frustrate a toddler and lead to a tantrum. 

Along with frustration, some toddlers don't yet have the developmental ability to fully understand or handle certain social situations or emotion-fueled scenarios. This can also lead to a tantrum. These types of tantrums may persist through the preschool years. 

How Can You Figure Out the Triggers?

Given the range of possible triggers, how do you know which one (or which ones) are the cause of your child's tantrums? Some are obvious. If your child didn't sleep well and has a tantrum when you drop them off at the day care center, fatigue is a likely culprit. But if you're not sure what sets your child off, you may need to do more sleuthing.

You don't have to figure out the triggers on your own. Talk to your child's teacher. They may have knowledge, ideas, or information that can help you to learn more about the causes behind your toddler's tantrums.

How Can Child Care Help Your Toddler?

An early childhood educator can do more than just help you figure out or learn more about your toddler's tantrum triggers. They can also help you manage tantrums and provide tips to turn around unwanted behaviors. Talk to the teacher during drop-off and pick-up, or schedule a time outside of the normal school day to discuss (or email) this issue.  

About Me

Your Child's Success in the Classroom Starts at Home

All parents want their children to earn great grades in class, but many don't know just what they can do at home to encourage that success. Sure, it begins with the basics: making sure your child completes all homework assignments and rewarding them when they improve their grades. However, many parents want to do more than that, and that is great! I wanted to share some tips that I have learned over the years as a parent of four children. First, it is important to realize that feeding your child healthy meals is important not only for the rest of their bodies, but also their brains! Making sure your child is well-fed with nutritious foods helps keep their minds alert and ready to learn as the nutrients aid in healthy brain development. Learn how you can enhance your child's education.