A child’s brain is still in development and because of that their ability to emotionally regulate large emotions is just starting. What this means is you can expect screaming, tantrums, fights, physical aggression, and more. How you handle these will dictate how well your child manages their emotions in the future.
Being patient, understanding, and yet firm can be very difficult. Loud noises can set off parents even with the best of intentions, especially when it is your first-born. To help you manage that aggression in your kids, use these tips.
Minimize Noise Stimulation
One of the most challenging parts of parenting toddlers is trying to stay calm through screaming, crying, and even more physical aggression. Waiting out the temper tantrum until your child is calm enough to actually comprehend and process what you are saying is a smart strategy, but personally managing that can be difficult.
If loud noises increase your own anxiety and that, in turn, causes you to react in ways you don’t want to, then take the noise out of the equation. Ear plugs can do wonders to cut out loud decibels of noise, which can be just what you need to help you deal with whatever crisis is occurring calmly.
Managing Toddler Aggression
Knowing how to handle toddler aggression is critical. While your main go-to approach may be to shame them or convey how disappointed you are in them, a young child’s inability to process emotions could result in a negative loop. A huge amount of what toddler’s develop as their understanding of self also begins in between birth until the age of five, so if they are told that they are a bad kid and aggressive or mean over and over, they will start to internalize this. Knowing how to redirect and patiently wait out aggression without condoning it is a tricky balance, and some toddlers do have a harder time than others.
In those instances, seeking out professional help can be just what you need. Professionals can help give you more advanced, targeted tools and advice on how to help you manage toddler aggression and help those children become more empathetic people.
Don’t Be Afraid to Give Yourself a Timeout, Too
It can be frustrating dealing with a toddler’s temper tantrum because they are working off an emotive response and more often than not when they are in the thick of things they won’t listen to reason. If you find yourself getting angry and frustrated, know it is time to give yourself a time-out too. Space to calm down so that you don’t parent with anxiety can help you and your kid.
Find Appropriate Coping Methods
Working from a script helps a lot for both you and your child. If your child is physically aggressive you can get toys or other objects that they are allowed to hit to work out their aggression. These types of coping methods can help your child learn how to self-regulate and also give you steps to take to mitigate the tantrum.
