Samantha, the creator of the 'Walking Outside in Slippers' parenting blog told Bored Panda that she is all too familiar with temper tantrums.
"Not only from my kids, but I apparently threw some epic ones as a kid. I've definitely lost my temper along with my kids while dealing with their meltdowns. That does not work well," she opened up to us.
"I've found that if I can remain calm despite their emotional upheaval, and wait it out, that's the best approach. Maybe there are consequences, but it can be hard to get them to care about that in the heat of the moment," the parenting blogger shared.
"Just get them to a quiet place away from people if you can, and help them calm down. Then talk about what is making them so upset, and really listen. They might be irrational, but their feelings are real."
Blogger Samantha was kind enough to share a few pearls of wisdom to help out new parents who feel overwhelmed and stressed out by all the tantrums.
"Parenthood is not easy, and it's probably not going to be like we expect! I would suggest carving out a bit of alone time if you can," she said.
"The whining and crying comes with the territory, unless you are lucky enough to have a unicorn child."
Having some healthy boundaries, according to the mom, is an essential part of parenting. "I try to set boundaries with my kids, that I need some alone time or I'm working on something," Samantha told Bored Panda.
"They don't always respect those boundaries. My daughter is a stage 3 clinger! But fresh air works wonders for us all."
Temper tantrums aren’t something 'awful' that should be avoided at all costs. They’re a very natural part of childhood. And crying itself is a completely normal part of being a human being. No matter how ‘perfectly’ you parent, at some point, you’ll have to deal with a major meltdown. And there isn’t always a clear-cut reason why they’re upset and why the tears start rolling!
It’s important that you let your kids feel whatever they’re feeling, instead of instantly distracting them. Being in touch with your emotions is an essential part of being an emotionally intelligent adult later on.
Kids are slowly developing their self-regulation, emotional resilience, and reasoning skills, so you can’t expect them to behave like super polite and highly rational adults all the time. That’d be naive. We also shouldn’t forget about how many adults throw tantrums as well, even though they should know better!
We all have our little breakdowns from time to time. There’s nothing embarrassing about it, even though we might feel uncomfortable later on remembering how we behaved. You cry. You feel what you feel. You move on.
According to Dr. Ashanti Woods, a pediatrician working at Baltimore’s Mercy Medical Center, there are some common age-related reasons why your child might be crying. The expert explained to Healthline that toddlers between 1 and 3 years of age tend to cry because they’re tired, frustrated, embarrassed, or confused.
Meanwhile, preschoolers between 4 and 5 years old might cry when they get physically or emotionally hurt.
Older kids, ages 5 and up, might start bawling because they get injured or lose something special. However, the specifics will always differ depending on the family in question, the particular circumstances, and the individual child. And just because we’re older doesn’t mean that ‘basic’ things like being tired don’t affect us. They’re often more important than we think.
Whatever the specific situation might be, parents ought to go through a quick mental checklist of the most likely explanations for why their munchkins are crying so hard that every passer-by is looking at them. First of all, consider that your kid might simply be hungry. (This applies to us adults, too! We can be pretty cranky when we’re famished.) Having a secret snack stash wherever you go is a must.
Next, consider whether your child might be feeling pain or discomfort. Maybe they’re too hot or too cold or they’ve got a stomach ache or some other parts of their bodies hurt.
Obviously, the older your kid, the more they’ll be able to vocalize how they feel (and what the possible reasons behind those feelings might be). But you should still be proactive and ask a few questions about what might be causing them discomfort.
