SMART WAYS TO DEAL WITH A TODDLER MELTDOWN

Written by Jana Angeles 

Dealing with a toddler meltdown is unpleasant and if not managed properly, it can also be quite stressful and frustrating. While it’s natural for toddlers to get upset, there may be a period where your toddler is highly sensitive and the mood swings and tantrums will be more frequent than usual. It’s hard for toddler’s to communicate how they feel, so having a meltdown is normal for them to release their emotions.  

It can be embarrassing if this happens in public, especially if you refused to buy that chocolate bar or cool, expensive gadget in the supermarket. We all react differently when it comes to dealing with a toddler meltdown, however, there are smart and logical steps to take when trying to manage a meltdown so that their behaviour doesn’t escalate into something ugly. 

Avoid tiring them out too much  

It’s understandable that you may want to pack in your weekends to spend as much time with your toddler, but like most of us, we all need to catch a break sometimes. When your toddler has been running around with you all day and becomes irritated at the slightest things, this may indicate that they are exhausted. Although they are such small creatures, toddlers do need to rest and be well fed. This is why it is important for them to not skip their afternoon naps, so they can maintain their energy levels for the next activity. 

Have a good read of your child’s feelings  

As a parent, you understand the complexity of feelings children feel on an ongoing basis. It’s important that you recognise the changes of mood they tend to go through and understand that it may be a frustrating process to be good at reading their feelings. While your child is having a meltdown, do your best to read their feelings and understand what triggered this behaviour in the first place. The more you understand, the better you’ll get at reading their emotions. 

Be calm and collected during a meltdown  

This may seem counterintuitive but this is actually a good approach to have during a toddler meltdown. If you react in a negative way, it will just end up making the situation worse and leave you stressed out. We understand that it can be frustrating to do nothing, but sometimes it is in your benefit to just relax until the meltdown is over. You can calmly talk to them after they have had their moment and help them understand the issues that they are experiencing internally. In this way, you can have a better grip on what makes your child react a certain way. 

It’s okay to show authority at times  

Sometimes your toddler may be going through a meltdown simply because things haven’t gone their way. It’s important to stick to your guns and not give in to avoid spoiling them or having that level of expectation from you. The more you let them get away with stuff, the more problems you’ll encounter when they get older because they have adapted some selfish habits. It is completely fine to be firm with them when you know that they are throwing meltdowns to simply get what they want. Use your own judgements here appropriately and proceed with caution. 

Know what makes them feel calm  

If there is a particular movie that makes them happy, or a toy that helps them feel safe and calm, use these to your disposal. If you already know what helps them feel better after a meltdown, stick to those methods and slowly engage in new things that may help reduce the stress and tension they may have experienced. Of course, try and minimise technology if you know there are other activities that don’t involve facing a screen. Try and be as creative as possible and always keep tabs on your child’s interests, so you know what to do next when they have another meltdown. 

There will be days where it will feel impossible to calm your child down, but just remember that we all have our ‘off’ days as parents. The tactics above are not solutions but tips to help you the next time your toddler decides to have the usual meltdown. Do your best to not lose your mind and pat yourself on the back when they turn into their calm and happy self again.