by Diana White
If you’re not emotionally strong, you may not be ready to deal with your child’s tricks, caprices and hysterics. Children are angels, but sometimes they lose control of their emotions. It often happens that parents cannot stand children’s fits of hysteria and become mad as hornets. You shouldn’t repeat this mistake, because evil does not cure evil.
Children’s life is not an easy thing. Step by step, they explore this world and learn to respond to everything new and unusual. They need time to get used to life, people, relationships and rules. Psychologists state with assurance that children between the ages of 2 and 5 years have a very vulnerable and unstable psyche.
The moment of hysteria is so ungrounded and unpredictable like an earthquake. Don’t believe those people who say that parents can do nothing about children’s fits of bad temper. Patience, willpower, wisdom and emotional steadiness should become the main priorities for you. These qualities give parents power to remain calm in times of stress and never be under the thumb of their children.
Some families can win and wave goodbye to child’s hysterics in a quite short period of time. Others have to face this terrible behavioral disorder for years. What’s the secret? There’s no magic pill or candy. Parents are the only ones who can handle this uneasy and delicate issue. The atmosphere in the family exerts a big influence on the temper and forms behavioral habits of a child.
Children are small, but already smart personalities who usually take advantage of this problem. I don’t believe that they cry for no reason. They often go into hysteric in order to reach desirable goals regardless of everything. Keep reading the article and you’ll be able to find the remedy against your child’s bad temper.
1. Prevent emotional explosions
As a parent, you might have a close emotional connection with your child. You’re the only one who can feel their emotions and understand almost all behavioral hints. Every mother has an opportunity to keep an eye on their children and analyze everything they say and do. If you see that your child is in low spirits, you should be ready to take immediate measures to prevent the explosion of a crying bomb. Try to notice strange gestures and puzzled expression of a child’s face. All these signs indicate that something bad is going to happen. I’m sure that your intuition and premonitions will help you prevent emotional outbursts of your kid.
How can you do it? You should distract them from a conflict and redirect their attention to another activity or thing. Show them something beautiful and attractive. Plus, you can get them involved into an interesting game. Keep in mind that your decisive tone and outright refusal will only intensify the problem. I hope your diplomatic skills will help you find an alternative solution.
2. Don’t bend
Children sometimes prefer to pretend and make a convenience of their parents. They’re small and harmless by nature, but their temper is a very dangerous weapon. The emotional blackmail and pressure are the best strategies of manipulation. It doesn’t mean that all children are manipulative, cunning and insidious. I think that it’s a choice of their parents.
When your child tries to plead for sympathy, you should never back down from a stand you have taken. Let them understand that you’ll never follow their tastes. Children’s usual trick is to behave hysterically and shame their parents in front of other people. By all means, you should keep an equal mind and stand your ground.
3. Help your child understand their feelings
Every parent is a teacher and a role model for their children. Dominance and emotional confrontation aren’t an aim, but tools that help parents bring up well-bred, healthy and smart personalities. Very often kids cannot understand what’s happening to them. There are so many blurred feelings and emotional states. Today even adults can’t master their thoughts and emotions.
If you haven’t bought them something attractive in the store, you should be ready to face the conflict. A bit later, try to explain to your dear child that it’s impossible to buy all toys and make all dreams come true at once. Tell them that negative emotions are harmful and pointless. As soon as children learn to manage feelings, accept and realize this reality, they’ll become more reserved and obedient.
4. Forget about corporal punishment
This old-school-method of parenting is not the best way to cope with a child’s bad temper. After all, corporal punishment is a very painful and offensive thing. This strategy is the easiest way to instill discipline and make your child obedient. But every medal has its dark side. Psychologists say that corporal punishment is a dangerous time bomb that can lead to severe fits of hysteria. It fills the minds and hearts of children with fear, hatred and anxiety. I believe that emotional pressure is a little bit better than corporal punishment. Try to ignore the child’s fits of bad mood and they’ll realize that their efforts are totally pointless.
5. Use their negative energy in a proper manner
Children are like inexhaustible sources of energy. They can run, jump, scream and fool around all day long. It’s crucially important to find developmental activities and keep your child engaged as much as possible. Busy kids have no time and desire to go into hysteric, because they quickly get tired and sleepy. Let them play games and exercise as long as they want – physical activity is good for their health. Don’t forget to encourage your child and present them with candies or stickers. If your child is fond of singing or dancing, then give them an opportunity to open up and perform like a star.
6. Communicate with your kid
Every child needs gradual socialization and communication with parents and coevals. You should talk to your child each day: your words and pieces of advice help them become stronger and find the right path in life. It’s a good chance to avoid generation gap and build a relationship based on trust. If you find a common language with your kid, you’ll reduce the frequency of annoying hysterics in future. Lack of contact and communication usually make children too nervous and antisocial personalities in future. Find a minute to talk to your kid and try to find the problem together. As a result, your little one will share their emotional experiences with you and become more resistant to stress.
7. Arm yourself with patience
Patience is the main priority for many parents who deal with children’s fits of hysteria. Every mother knows that it’s hard to preserve unchanged composure and remain indifferent to children’s cries and tears. Boost the strength of your mind and fill your heart with hope and wisdom, because parenting is the hardest job in the world.
Struggling against kid’s hysterics is a long story, especially if your child has already tried to manipulate you. You’ll have to move heaven and earth to prove them that hysterics are not the best way to achieve a desirable result.
8. Let them redeem their fault
Nowadays many parents prefer to put emotional pressure upon their kids and make them feel guilty. The feeling of guilt is a powerful emotion that leads to chronic anxiety and stress. Parents should give children a chance to admit all wrong doings and redeem their fault. Both adults and kids need to release negative emotions, especially the feeling of guilt. My daughter usually presents me with a candy when she feels guilty for her bad temper.
I think that the source of the problem is not children, but their parents. Those parents who indulge child’s caprices will regret about it later. I hope these useful pieces of advice will help you respond to your child’s hysterics adequately. You’ll forget about it when the psyche of your child will reach a higher stage of development. What other ways to deal with child’s fits of bad temper do you know? Share your point of view!
