Tantrums Archives - Not another slippery dip

Behavioural transformations CAN happen

June 3, 2014 By Michaela Fox

Recently I took my daughter, Miss J, to the maternal health centre for her routine 3½-year check. I strolled into the centre holding my daughter’s hand and happily handed over the PEDS parental feedback form, which I had filled out before arriving. In every box beginning with the question: “Do you have any concerns?” I had ticked “No.” Every. Single. One.

Rewind a year and a half to her two-year check up and the assessment form was littered with behavioural concerns. At breaking point, I remember discussing these in detail with the maternal nurse. At the age of two, Miss J was clingy, defiant, anxious and demanding. We wrestled with multiple tantrums and meltdowns on a daily basis. It may sound like typical two-year-old behaviour, but it was excessive and worrying….

Temper Tantrums Tactics

January 14, 2014 By Michaela Fox

Terrible tantrums

If the average toddler is wilful, defiant and impulsive, then my first-born defies the norm. Miss A is even-tempered, kind, selfless and happy from dawn till dusk. I anticipated the onset of the Terrible Two’s, but when she turned 2 she remained a compliant child. “Just wait till she hits three – that’s when the Terrible Two’s really kick in,” people said. But if anything, she became calmer, more self-aware and more empathetic.

Miss A has never thrown a true tantrum. Certainly not the type I have come to know with my other girls. The one time she chose to assert herself after missing a turn on the swing, she protested with a tentative and clumsy foot stamp. It was so out of character she looked uncomfortable in her own skin. After a momentary pause we both roared with laughter. Even when attempting ‘temper’ she could laugh at herself. Priceless.

But before you stop reading and put me in the same category as the mother whose baby sleeps through the night at six weeks, bear with me. What she may lack in temper my younger two make up for, and with combined force, they are currently vying for the Terrible Two’s award….

How to manage difficult behaviour

October 9, 2013 By Michaela Fox

Challenging. Spirited. Explosive. Insistent. These are just some of the labels used to describe children displaying difficult behaviour. For parents struggling with endless tears or tantrums, it can be exasperating and leave them feeling at a loss and out of love with their child. The good news is that there are many things parents can do to support behavioural change. In my latest article on Essential Kids, I speak with psychologist Michael Hawton about what parents can do to manage difficult behaviour.

Do you feel like you are able to remain calm when your child is throwing a major tantrum? Are there any strategies that work for you that you can share?

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