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HOW TO STAY CALM WHEN YOUR CHILD IS HAVING A MELTDOWN

When your little one succumbs to a meltdown or temper tantrum, it can be extremely difficult to remain calm.

The truth is though, it is incredibly important to know how to stay calm when your child is having a meltdown.

If you get frustrated and engage your child in a negative way, you are only exacerbating the issue.

child crying

HOW TO STAY CALM WHEN YOUR CHILD IS HAVING A MELTDOWN

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There are several ways to stay calm while your child is having a meltdown.

BE UNDERSTANDING

Understand that your little one’s negative behavior is usually a cry for help when they don’t know how to ask for it.

SET LIMITS

It is important to set limits with your child before you find yourself getting frustrated.

Be direct, calm and honest with your little one.

ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR FEELINGS

It is important to acknowledge your little one’s feelings in the process of a meltdown.

If possible direct your child to a more secluded spot and tell them that you know they are feeling frustrated and upset.

INTERVENE

While you might ignore your child when they are having a meltdown, it is important to talk about it after your child has calmed down.

Remember that it is important to follow through with all attempts to stop the behavior.

REALIZE YOUR CHILD COMES FIRST

If you are in public and your child is having a meltdown, remember that it doesn’t matter what others think.

It may be hard to focus on your child and not others, especially with the fear of being ridiculed.

But remember, your child comes first, so this is where you need to focus your attention.

ACCEPTANCE

Accept that this is happening.

While you might not enjoy seeing your child have a meltdown, accepting that it is actually a meltdown will help you react calmly.

BREATHE!

Take a deep breath and count backward from 10 before reacting.

This will help you to remain calm.

This is also a GREAT tip for your kids.

TAKE A TIMEOUT

Sometimes it is important to take a timeout.

If your little one is having a meltdown at home, make sure they are safe and if necessary take a few seconds to collect yourself.

By heading to your room and closing the door, or taking this opportunity to use the bathroom you will remove yourself from the situation allowing you to come back in with a calmer mentality.

THIS TOO SHALL PASS

I’m sure we’ve all heard this little line.

Remind yourself that this is the reality for the moment but not for the long term.

This too shall pass.

FOCUS ON YOUR BEHAVIOR

When your little one is having a meltdown all the focus is on them, but you need to focus on your own behavior to remain calm.

Redirect your attention to yourself and your reactions before you act.

It is extremely important to remain calm when your child is having a meltdown.

Getting frustrated or angry will only make the situation worse and cause your little one to react more.

Once your child has calmed down it is a good idea to review what happened with them.

Try one of these books to help work through meltdowns with your child:

CALM-DOWN TIME (TODDLER TOOLS)

THE ANGRY DRAGON

You might also like this post TANTRUM TRIGGERS AND HOW TO AVOID THEM:

How to avoid a temper tantrum

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