Re: How do you handle nearly 2-year old tantrums?

Posted by Ophelia

Posted by maybeamommy


How do you do this though? I guess I'm looking for more real life advice than theory KWIM? I want to know how I can actually put these ideas into practice.

Let's say he wants ME to get him a granola bar but I'm busy doing something else. I tell him Daddy will get it for him. He goes over and says NO DADDY and hits DH. When DH gives him the granola bar, he crumbles it onto the floor and screams.

What do I do? I feel like I'm doing him a disservice by always giving in, KWIM?

in this situation, after he hits, he gets NOTHING. and I tell him why. You hit people that is NOT nice and they will not do nice things for you if you are not nice.

does he totally get it? maybe...but for sure he gets the gist of it.

like this morning...one of his markers fell off the table so I laughed and picked it up. then he started to make like he was going to knock it off the table and I told him no, that I won't pick it up b/c that is not a game.

so then he starts inching the entire box towards the edge of the table...I tell him "if you knock the box on the floor, no more drawing for you"

he knocks the box on the floor.

so I go, pick up the markers put them in the box and put his paper away.

drawing is OVEr for today. he screams. too bad. we go wash him hands. he gets distracted by the water running over his chubby little fingers and forgets his whole drama.

goes off to play with something else.

Re: How do you handle nearly 2-year old tantrums?

I try to ignore tantrums. I turn around and do not make eye contact. I will typically not give him what he wants.

DS just turned 2, 2 weeks ago, and I just introduced time outs. They are amazing!!!! Now just the threat of a time out will make him stop. I'll say something like, if you do that one more time you go to TO and he waves his hand no and stops the "bad" behavior. For hitting, which he's started and I can't figure out if it's on purpose or what (he takes both hands and hits my face), that he gets an immediate time out. I completely ignore him during TO's. I keep him in a confined space (facing the front door - which works well bc every home has a front door so I even used it at my parents') and ignore him, no talking, only touch him if he tries to "escape."

For now removing any kind of reinforcement, whether postive (caress, touch, any sweetness from mommy) or negative (yelling) seems to work best.

Throwing toys I haven't figured out yet - if I take away the toy he just picks up one of the 4,765,981 other toys he has