I'm hoping this is just a phase.

[BigJohn]

My son is 5 and he has started throwing some major league tantrums. He will kick and thrash and then he just goes to dead weight. I have been able to keep my cool, but it's hard when he's misbehaving and then gets defiant.

Please, tell me this is just a phase. How do you all deal with a tantrum?

 

[Jessie]

My soon to be step son is almost 4 and does the same thing. We set him in a chair in the corner till he calms down and thinks about his actions. Then as him to come to us and explain what he did wrong. Then we explain to him why it is unexceptionable behavior. This goes for fits or bad in general. We have seen less of the tantrums since then.

 

[Lefty]

If they do this in a public place, we leave immediately. I don't care if we are in the middle of having dinner, we leave. Then we do the time outs and etc. I believe you really have to explain things to a child even though they may not understand why. But it works usually. After the first two times we left McDonalds and threw away the milkshakes, chicken nuggets AND the toy on the way out, our little boy decided he no longer wants to have tantrums.

 

[greatdad]

I think whether it's a phase or not depends a lot on how you handle the tantrums. If you make some consequences for the tantrums, whether it's time outs, taking away something he enjoys, or something else that will teach him that tantrums are unacceptable, they are likely to stop. If he gets by with them, they are likely to continue.

Sit down with him and explain that tantrums are not acceptable and why. If he has questions, answer them. Discuss what the consequences are for throwing the tantrums. Once that is done, calmly and consistently carry out the consequences whenever he throws a tantrum.

Making sure he understands and being consistent are the keys, I think.

 

[MilwaukeeJoe]

My wife had more of a problem with this than I did, just because she physically had a hard time managing to get him out of the situation. But when he did this, he came home and was put to bed, and then was in time out in his bed the entire next day with only books. He doesn't throw those kind of fits anymore.

 

[Paul40]

Been there... if you are home drop down on the floor with him and do the same. Most times when they see you they will stop and laugh. It is a stage! I do agree though if you are in public, take your child out of the situation right away.