My daughter is 18 months old and she has started throwing tantrums when she does not get her way. I try not to laugh at her but it is funny because she throws herself on the floor. I guess my question is how can I make this stop or is it something that I will deal with for a while.

By Melanie on Thursday, March 27, 2003 - 10:56 am:

The fastest way to make them go away is to not pay any attention to it. If she gets no reaction from you, she'll figure out it doesn't work. If it is really bad, move her to her bedroom until she is done with a little comment that she can come out when she is sweet again. There is no reason for her to hurt your ears while she throws a fit.

By Tunnia on Thursday, March 27, 2003 - 11:10 am:

What I have always done with my dk's is when the tantrum starts I immediately take them to their room and shut the door. My ds will say "I stopped crying now" when he is finished with his tantrum because I always tell them that they can only come out when they have stopped throwing the fit. This has worked for us and even though my ds still has a tantrun on occasion (he's 2) he knows what to expect and that it won't be tolerated. BTW, if it happens in public, I will immediatly take them to the car and strap them in the carseat (when it's warm I turn the car on and turn on the ac) and then I stand outside the car until it is over. I have left carts full of groceries before to take an offending child to the car. LOL

By Feona on Thursday, March 27, 2003 - 11:16 am:

If the tantrum is in the house, I will walk away. Actually most tantrum, in my house occur when the child is too tired. If the child is clearly sick or over tired, then I try to have him take a nap.

I tend to over tire my child so I get alot of tantrums at parks. I think it is my fault for allowing ds to get too tired, so I ignore those tantrums.

By Mechelle on Thursday, March 27, 2003 - 12:35 pm:

I make mine do the time out thing. I have a 2 yr old that loves to throw tantrums when she dosen't get her way.
I sit her in a play pen, until she is finished, usually I hear her yell "Chelle, come get me, I'm done!" It works like a charm. I always tell her before I put her to bed (for time out) "Your not going to do that here, cause you didn't get your way, you can sit in your bed until you are finsinshed crying"
Works like a charm for me.

By Tonya on Thursday, March 27, 2003 - 03:14 pm:

I always did the room thing with Timmy and it worked wonders. He hated being in there knowing I wasn't watching him throw a fit put the child in the room and explain when you are done you can come out until then this is where you stay. Good luck!

By Eve on Thursday, March 27, 2003 - 05:22 pm:

Ditto what Melanie said. DH (Even my Mom caught on to this quick!) and I will say "Daddy, do you hear something? Huh. I thought I heard Syd. Syd doesn't whine though! Huh." She stops right away! She lowers her voice and says "Mumma?"

Also, I will say "I know you are angry, but Mom doesn't want to hear you cry. I'll be in the other room. When you want to stop, you come on in." It seems the sooner, I try to go on about whatever I'm doing, she stops.

Of course, if she is overtired or hungry or sick, it doesn't work as well. Sometimes, she just needs my attention. Minor whining though, the ignoring, in a really calm way, matter of fact, works really well for us. Like I said above, even my Mom started saying that before we even got the chance! She saw it worked! LOL!

By Babysitbarb on Friday, March 28, 2003 - 09:58 am:

With my babysitting kids I usually set them on the couch in time out until they are done crying. With my own girls when they were smaller I use to try the ignoring thing and that just made it worse. I'm not much for spanking but, my Dad said one time pick them up swat their butts and they won't do it many more times. It worked for us. Mine seemed to do it mostly in public. I don't mean beat them, just a lite swat gets the point across. I don't like the bribery thing either, because after a while they think they are going to get something for everything they do good.I see kids who just run over their parents and it bothers me.