Question: How to help a child having a tantrum in public?
Recommendations:
- Take action BEFORE you go
- Set your child up for success
- Don’t go when tired (either you or your children).
- Don’t go when hungry
- Bring a favorite toy
- For comfort and distraction
- Set expectations for the upcoming experience
- Avoid making rules or threats
- Examples to avoid saying: “When we get inside, you are NOT to touch _____” or “I will not tolerate any misbehavior inside, do you understand me?”
- Talk about what your plan is
- Example: “We’re just going in to grab a few items. We won’t have time for anything else”
- Avoid making rules or threats
- Set your child up for success
- Avoid getting into a power struggle
- Watch your own words and don’t escalate
- Listen and Empathize
- Forget about what others think
- Focus on your child and only your child.
- Remember that the well-being of your child is more important than what the opinions of others might be.
- Focus on your child and only your child.
- Take steps to diminish your own stress
- Take deep breaths
- Before you go in, during the trip, and after it’s over.
- It never hurts to take some deep breaths.
- Remember some mantras
- For example “My child isn’t giving me a hard time, my child is having a hard time”
- Speak calmly and slowly
- Take deep breaths