A TANTRUM is basically your child ‘exploding their emotions’.

This happens as a result of an immature brain and a flood of hormones. How you manage these outbursts will be key to your child learning skills which will help him in later life to be assertive and manage stress effectively. Your actions at these times will literally help sculpt your toddler' brain.

The ‘distress’ tantrum is usually a result of your child feeling true emotional pain, whereas a ‘little Nero’ tantrum is a response your child gives to disappointment when he can’t get his own way or control the adults around him.

An example of a ‘distress’ tantrum could be when you leave your child with another relative or in a new environment. The brain will flood with painful emotions and your child will be overwhelmed. This type of tantrum needs sensitivity and an understanding that your child isn’t handling these big feelings very well. You should soothe your child when you are in this situation and aim to comfort them.

A ‘little Nero’ tantrum, however, is emotion based on the desire to control and get what they want. Most children will have these types of explosion of emotion if they are not getting the attention they want, or the adults around them are not doing what they want them to do. This type of tantrum needs to be nipped in the bud very early on; if it isn’t, your child is in danger of growing into a power-crazed adult who uses bullying to get what they want.

Next Week: Managing ‘little Nero’ tantrums

See: www.parentandbabycoach.co.uk