Toddler taming is not for the faint of heart. There are those who would laugh a hearty chortle as they faced a rampant stampede of enraged bison but who would turn pale at the thought of dealing with a toddler who wants their eggs prepared in a particular hue of yellow. Certain Spartan souls would think nothing of repelling into the caldera of an erupting volcano but would be reduced to a whimpering mess at the prospect of trying to defuse a toddler tantrum.
The thing is, dealing with toddlers is not about bravery it’s about strategy and survival. For those parents currently at the drawing board and in the process of putting together a toddler battle plan one new study might have something to offer.
For this study researchers gathered data from more than 350 families where a child had been adopted. This was done as a way to rule out genetics and focus on parenting strategies.
When they looked at the parenting strategies employed and the incidence of tantrums among toddlers they found that when parents were quick to anger when children tested age-appropriate limits or made mistakes, those children exhibited more temper tantrums than normal for their age.
Further research showed that children from birth mothers who showed more “negative emotionality†were also prone to tantrums, but while genetics can’t be altered the over-reactive parenting style that promotes tantrums can.
Toddlerhood is a time when children are prone to testing limits and boundaries. The researchers also found that as they grew up the toddlers who displayed more tantrums were more likely to have problem behaviours at age two to four.
So parents, if you can remain firm and confident and not over-react to normal boundary testing from your children then not only will your children be better for it but sainthood won’t be far away either.
