A thought about tantrums

When a child has a screaming tantrum in the middle of the supermarket, it's really not nice for the parent! You probably feel embarrassed, to say the least. No wonder it often comes out in a telling-off for the child.

But it's important to consider that when a child gets into trouble for expressing his emotions in a socially-inappropriate way, this can have a far-reaching impact on his emotional health.

As parents, a key responsibility is to TEACH OUR CHILDREN TO EXPRESS ALL THEIR EMOTIONS IN A HEALTHY AND APPROPRIATE WAY. Try to never make your child feel shame or guilt for feeling any emotion. He needs, like all healthy humans, to experience anger, sadness and fear as well as positive emotions like happiness.

When dealing with a tantrum, be particularly careful to address the behavior and not the emotion. And take the time to talk to your child about emotions, and how to express them appropriately.

Happy parenting,

Cassie