2 Year Old Tantrums – Understanding Your 2 Year Olds

Understanding Your 2 Year Olds Tantrums

Temper tantrums are as common amongst 2 year olds as bees are to flowers. In other words they are very common… and very unpleasant.

2 Year Old Tantrums – The key to preventing temper tantrums is to pay attention to your little one and try to head off any difficulties.

It is important that parents understand why their 2 year old is throwing a fit. Instead of pulling your hair out because you just can’t take the screaming anymore, here are a few reasons as to why your 2 year old may be throwing a tantrum and what you can do.

The very first thing that you have to understand is that the reason behind a temper tantrum will change as your child gets older.

Yes, your child will outgrow this temper tantrum phase, it will really depend on their developmental progress and how well you respond.

Reasons Behind Temper Tantrum:

For a two year old the most common reason for a temper tantrum is that there is a need that is not being met. It isn’t that they are trying to misbehave; they are trying to tell you what it is they need that is not being taken care of.

The key then is to find out what it is they need and do your best to take care of it. It’s funny, ironically speaking, that often the tantrum that you thought was over the fuzzy stuffed animal that you said they couldn’t have… which lead to the waling and tears, is really do to the fact that your child just needs to be hugged and loved on. Don’t be surprised if this is what you find out. You will need to be patient and understanding. Realize that at 2, they have not mastered the ability to express their feelings and communicate effectively.

The second reason behind many temper tantrums is stress. The stress can be caused by any number of things, struggling with potty training, separation anxiety, too much television, not enough sleep, wanting more attention and so on. Think about all the things that cause you stress in a day, your 2 year old is no different, they just don’t have the capabilities to handle that stress in a constructive way. Take a moment to figure out their stress. Sometimes all it takes is for you to take a deep breath or two, pick up your little one and hold them in your lap or curl up on the bed with them.

How to Stop Temper Tantrum?

So how do you stop temper tantrums? The answer is simple, you have to prevent them. The key to preventing temper tantrums is to pay attention to your little one and try to head off any difficulties. Pay attention doesn’t mean hovering over them and eyeing their every move. It means pay attention to the signals that are given before the temper tantrum and try to intercede the explosion. Find healthy ways for your child to deal with their stress.

This can be things such as running, jumping, and playing when they are feeling an incredible amount of energy and or stress. The more they can use their large muscles to expend energy the better. There is the old saying that fresh air will do you good, this is true with kids. Get them outside, let them run around. It helps them relax, they feel better… and they tucker themselves out. Just be sure to keep an eye on “tuckering out” part because if they get too tired and don’t get rest… you will have a temper tantrum on your hands.

Don’t forget to include quiet time in the day. Time when the television is off, play some of their favorite music softly or read them books. This should be time when stimuli are low and time with you is high.

Also see, 1 Year Old Tantrums , 2 Year Old Tantrums , 3 Year Old Tantrums , 4 Year Old Tantrums , 5 Year Old Tantrums , 6 Year Old Tantrums