* I heard this on the news awhile ago when I was going through this stage and they said throw a tantrum along with your child. I would do this in the privacy of my own home but not in public, so I thought. But I started doing it in public sitting down in the middle of the grocery aisle throwing a tantrum. My son didn't appreiciate it, people were looking, and I had an impaitient shopper behind me. But hey, he stopped throwing the tantrum and I had fun. Classic moment of what a parent would do for their child.
* Some children are grumpy in the morning after waking up. Pulling funny faces, peek-a-boo, pretending to crash into things, tickles and telling them you love them generally does the job.
* Giving them what they want everytime they throw a tantrum will give them the idea that all they need to do to get what they want is throw a tantrum. Boundaries come into play here. You know whats best for your child as their parent. In the end it's up to you to make decisions for your child and know when to say 'NO'
* I tell my son 'breath son, come here sit down and let's talk'. He spends about 2 minutes crying then 2 minutes to calm down and catch his breath, be grumpy at mum for 2 minutes then starts talking for the next 5 minutes. I'm too much of an observant person but times may vary. Simply letting them talk to get it all out will make you both feel better.
* Asking your child to draw you a picture can tell you how they are feeling. If they choose to draw it can calm them down and makes them concerntrate on the task at hand. Talking to them while they are drawing can allow them to have the chance to say what they want to say. You know if they rip it up or throw things around they really need your time. Ask heaps of questions starting with a nice low happy quiet and understanding voice. Start off with 'Can you tell me sweetheart why you just did that for?' - 'Can I draw with you?' and positive feedback such as, 'I like it when you draw me a picture' - 'I want to hang your beautiful picture on the wall when you finish' - 'Wow you doing a great job' - 'You can do it' etc...
* Your child's mind is very imaginative and creative. My son loves cars and I mean 'LOVE CARS!'. When he gets angry I sit him down and we play a game. The imaginery game where he drives me around in his car. I'm a seatbelt freak and he knows even if it's an imaginery car he HAS TO put his seatbelt on. He's very much the gentlemen. Gets up opens my imaginery door lets me in and goes back to his side buckles me in and then buckles himself in and we're off. Playing any kind of games which require thinking can be beneficial and fun for both you and your child.
* I can't say my ideas work all the time so I then resort to time out. I hate time out because in some cases it's isolating your child and letting whatever they are angry at make them feel worse, but on the other hand it can also have the opposite effect. To be honest, time out would be more for me then my son. We need a break as parents now and again. I'm not ashamed to admit that. It's just apart of parenting.
