How to survive the Terrible Tantrum

There’s a reason they call it the Terrible Two’s. I thought we’ve seen the worst, and we were handling it well. Not so! Missy Toddler turned Two, and with it came THE TANTRUM!

The ritual of THE TANTRUM:

1. The stomping feet, which increases the more she gets upset!
2. The unhappy forced wail!
3. The high high piercing pitching shriek which follows the wail!
4. She throws her body on the floor and/or crawls around on all fours!  (It is impossible to pick her up, because she just slithers through your arms.)
5. It lasts for a couple of more minutes.

NOTES TO SELF ON HOW TO SURVIVE IT:

• Ignore, and walk away. (There is nothing that douses a full-blown tantrum quicker than when there is nobody to appreciate it.)

• When you can’t walk away, drag her (if possibly), to a safe place to continue there with the tantrum. (It has the same effect as the previous point)

• Make a mental note of how funny it looks (although you don’t always see the funny at that moment), and think of how you are going to tell them about it when they are bigger! (Evil smile)(That video is also going to make a huge manipulation tool...)

• Try the distraction technique. Do not spend as much time on this technique. It does not work as well like when she was younger...

• Make yourself a cup of coffee/tea/WINE!

• Say to yourself: “This too will pass!”

• Chant to yourself, repeatedly “This too will pass!”

• When in a public place: 

            Put on your best calmest smile!
            Zone out!             Look people in the eye (Give them the “It’s her, not me!”-look)
            Act genuinely surprised at the people frowning at you!

How do you handle the Terrible T?


Related posts:
The shriek!
The T-dance - the toddler and tantrums