A preschooler can feel them, but it is challenging to express those feelings into words. Hear our top parenting strategies for raising preschool boys.Emotions are an abstract concept.Learn tactics for dealing with your toddler or preschooler’s backtalk.From eye contact to follow-through, read our suggestions for disciplining your preschooler.Get tips for fostering social-emotional development in your preschooler at home. Over time, your consistently patient response will help facilitate preschool development of the social-emotional skills your child needs to feel, express, and handle difficult emotions appropriately. A tantrum is a loss of control that can feel very frightening to a child. Try to remember that your child isn’t trying to manipulate or embarrass you. Then you asked Max not to take your things. You wanted to be by yourself for a while. Try saying, for example, “You felt really mad and sad. Was she satisfied with the resolution? What would she do differently next time? Offer your perspective and encouragement. For example, after your child has calmed down, expressed his or her point of view, and found solutions, talk once more about what happened. Lessons learned about positive preschooler behavior are reinforced when children are able to reflect on their experiences. Learning how to handle negative emotions isn’t a one-time event, but rather, the result of trial and error. Revisit the situation and offer feedback. Next time, ask first.” They can also learn to identify and seek out calming strategies, such as talking to an adult, getting a hug, drawing a picture of the situation, listening to music, or spending a few minutes alone. With support and practice, preschoolers can verbalize their perspective and their needs: “I feel mad because you took my car. Discovering solutions not only to the situation that initially caused frustration, but also to the feelings themselves aids preschool development. Once the most intense feelings have subsided, help children find solutions. A calm, empathetic response can help children learn that emotions won’t overpower them, but can be felt and dealt with. Strong emotions, such as anger and sadness, can feel overwhelming to young children. That made you mad when Alex took your car.” Physical contact, such as a hug, can help, although some children need space when they’re angry. Offering empathy usually works well, for example, saying, “I can see how angry you are. Limit your speech and talk in a low, quiet voice. Instead, stay patient with your toddler and pay attention to his or her words and body language. Trying to talk a child out of a meltdown almost never works, and usually increases frustration. If your child is exhibiting negative behavior in a public place, move to a quiet area. Gently restrain and move your child if you think he or she might hurt someone. Below are a few suggestions to help you and your child get through a toddler tantrum or “meltdown” moment successfully:Įstablish safety. Frustrations are part of life for children and adults alike. Set up your home to allow for maximum independence and give your child choices whenever possible.ĭefensive StrategyThe proactive strategies listed above can reduce feelings of anger for your child, but won’t entirely eliminate them. Young children, in general, have little control over their lives. Try to create a “yes” environment that reduces frustration and sets your child up for success. Their limited life experience, verbal skills, and emotional development make it difficult for them to share, take turns, and understand another’s point of view. Preschoolers have only lived on this planet for 36 to 48 months – not very long in the big scheme of things. How to Deal with Tantrums & Negative Preschooler Behavior The Offensive ApproachSo, how can you help your young child handle powerful emotions? First, try to see things from his or her perspective. As a parent figuring out how to deal with tantrums, you might feel a range of emotions, such as empathy, confusion, or even frustration, in response to your child’s behavior. Depending on the situation and their temperament, preschoolers react to anger with behaviors ranging from a few tears to a full-on toddler tantrum. Preschoolers might not yet have the life experiences or the cognitive abilities of adults, but they’re able to feel a full range of emotions, including anger.
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