FROM time to time when our children reach a certain age, usually from 12 months onwards, they can become overwhelmed by the way they are feeling. This can show itself as a tantrum in a toddler and is purely an explosion of emotion.

While tantrums are common in two-year-olds, if managed well they will become less frequent. As a parent you can teach your child how to manage frustration and express their anger in more appropriate ways.

Here are some preventative measures for reducing tantrums:

- Focus on the positive behaviour your child demonstrates and give descriptive praise.

- Spend quality time together doing things you both enjoy. Boredom often leads to behaviour we don’t want to see.

- Throughout the day let your child know what you will be doing and what is going to happen so they know what to expect.

- Have a few necessary and realistic rules.

- Keep to a routine for meal times and sleep times.

- Decide if your child’s requests are reasonable before you say yes or no. Stick to your decision.

If your little one does have a tantrum, ignore the behaviour. Providing your child is safe, take yourself away from them and do not give any attention. When your child is quiet or behaving well, praise them and move on to doing something positive together.

Remember, children can learn to use tantrums to get what they want, and will escalate their behaviour to make the adults around them give in to their demands. If you say no then don’t change your mind. If tantrums work, they are more likely to happen again!