Yesterday we featured a post on avoiding toddler meltdowns by Joanne Mallon – a freelance journalist, a life coach and the author of Toddlers: An Instruction Manual: A Guide to Surviving the Years One to Four (Written by Parents, for Parents).
Rather than being a book written by “experts”, Joanne approached the real experts of toddlers – their parents. And so the advice given in this book is tried and tested by those who have been there, done that and bought the proverbial t-shirt. Oh, and did I mention that I was one of the contributors?
Anyway, don’t let that put you off.
You can buy her book Toddlers: An Instruction Manual: A Guide to Surviving the Years One to Four (Written by Parents, for Parents)
Anyone, anywhere in the world can enter. All you have to do is leave a comment below telling me a tried and tested tactic for dealing with toddler meltdowns.
The giveaway will end next Friday, 20th January at midnight GMT.
The competition is now closed and the winner is: Sally!
.
Blog this!- Bookmark on Delicious
- Digg this post
- Recommend on Facebook
- Share on faves
- Buzz it up
- Share on Linkedin
- Share on Posterous
- share via Reddit
- Share with Stumblers
- Share on technorati
- Tumblr it
- Tweet about it
- Buzz it up
- Subscribe to the comments on this post
- Print for later
![bookmark](http://www.largerfamilylife.com/site1/wp-content/plugins/share-and-follow/images/blank.gif" height=)
Bookmark in Browser- Tell a friend
Chocolate… only kidding!
Distraction seems to work on mine, though only to a point. It’s most effective if I get in when things are just starting to spiral downhill, rather than waiting until the tantrum has already struck. What seems to work best is asking questions. I try to make it something that’s a bit related to the impending tantrum so she knows we aren’t just ignoring her, but off-topic enough to get her mind away from whatever isn’t allowed.
Of course, its easier said than done!
Let them get it out of their system, lay them down so they don’t bang their heads. Let them get on with it, they will feel better for it and you don’t end up kicked or punched
Prevention is the best way for us to prevent meltdowns
I have found that using a soft word and redirecting their attention works very well, although it’s not always the easiest thing to do.
Can’t say we’ve had too many toddler meltdowns that required any special attention. We’ve had some stonking paddies from our now 8 year old though. Through 5, 6 and a little of her 7th year she woudl go mental over the smallest things. We learnt to spot the signs and get her on her own to calm down – usual 15 minutes later it would pass. If we missed the sign it could be hours before she would calm down.
My tip, learn to spot the signs that meltdown is imminent and attempt to diffuse th situation by distraction.
I’ve been distracting my twin boys with show music played really loudly. This week it’s Little Shop of Horrors. My husband isn’t keen on it, but it does the trick!
My little boy is 2 and is pretty good but if he does have a tantrum I usually start singing his favourite song, twinkle twinkle little star and it always distracts him and he starts singing along with me! x
at the moment i have a 16 month old daughter and i have to say she is already going through the terrble 2′s shes chucks herself on the floor and screams and screams, sometimes i find the best way to deal with it is to ignore her by walking away as she then sees that she isn’t holding my attention nor is she getting the thing she wants. or sometimes i take her away from the situation x
my 3 year old (almost 4) is prone to melt downs alot for any reason down to crossing roads at the wrong place on the way home from nursery and the best thing iv found that works for him is distraction. anything from randomly changing the subject to bursting into song works wonders. i do get some funny looks as im skipping down the street or shouting insy winsy spider as loud as i can but it rly helps calm him down and raises a smile from strangers and his baby sister whos now 10 months lol. we didnt have this problem with his older brother and sister but now iv learned to think on my feet. im sure people in the super markets avoid me when they hear me coming down the aisle singing to him complete with actions lol
Head for a soft play area and relax for a couple of minutes without the toddler playing with things they shouldn’t..falling over or bashing into things!! Thats my best advice for toddlers.