The Height Of A Tantrum Is Not The Time To…

The height of a tantrum is not the time to…

Punish
Teach
Ask for Explanation

Your child will not be taking that information in and may get escalated even further.

When your child is at the height of a tantrum, they are functioning from their downstairs brain. This area of the brain is in charge of survival - fight, flight, or freeze.

The upstairs brain is in charge of logic, reasoning, regulation. Those skills go out the window when big feelings take over. This is true for adults too! For our children, however, their brains are still so new so the ability to regulate is something we need to help them learn.

So next time your child has a meltdown…
Acknowledge the feeling
Be calm and present
Wait out the storm

And remind yourself - your child’s upstairs brain is brand new and constantly processing new information so keep expectations developmentally appropriate.