Dealing with tantrums

Ryker is at the age where he gets bored easily and wants to touch and do everything, basically he is having a lot of tantrums! When he first started having tantrums I was too embarrassed to go out on my own with him or i'll only go out for short amount of times. I remember his first tantrum in Asda, he was on the floor kicking his legs and screaming, EVERYONE was looking. I literally had no clue what to do. I tried everything and he just wouldn't stop, I got really flustered and just ended up putting my shopping back and leaving the store. It was awful!

Since then I have got a lot better at dealing with tantrums and even preventing them before they happen. Here's a little list of things that work for me:

1) Stay calm: This is most important. Don't worry about what anyone else is thinking, remember all kids have tantrums! If you start getting flustered then it makes the whole situation a lot worse. Take deep breaths and speak to your child calmly but firm.

2)  Prepare: Make sure before going out that your child is rested, my Asda incident happened because Ryker was really tired. Have bottles, Juice, Nappies, Wipes, Snacks, and at least one small toy with you as this will help you be prepared for any kind on tantrum. Even if Ryker has had his food before we go out, if i'm in a supermarket and he see's an apple - or anything that looks like an apple - he starts moaning and screaming apple and obviously I can't buy it, wash it, and peel it before his tantrum starts so I always make sure I have apple slices or other foods he loves with me to save all the hassle of rushing to buy more food.

3) Distract: This works best just before it turns into a full blown tantrum. As soon as he/she starts moaning or getting upset, find anything to distract them. This one works well for me as Ryker is easily distracted, all I have to do is point into the distance and say 'there' and he'll start getting excited and running towards where I point. As long as you have a positive attitude towards something else, they'll rather that than whatever they are crying about. I also always have his favorite toy with me so if he is crying for one in the shop i'll just pull his toy out and say 'wow' and he forgets about the other one. 

4) Make them laugh: This is an obvious one but can sometimes be easier said than done once they've started having a tantrum. What works best with Ryker is silly noises or hiding behind something and then poping your head out. It genuinely works. He'll be in the trolley/buggy crying and i'll hide and peek at him, first he goes silent and then once I do it the second time he laughs and then i'll distract him with something else.

5) Involve: This one is my life saver. I always used to just rush into the supermarket get everything quickly and get out before he starts moaning. I've realised I can actually take my time but involve Ryker more with what i'm doing so that he doesn't get bored. It's also kind of a nice bonding time. Any light unbreakable items he puts into the trolley and also helps me put them on the conveyor belt to pay. I'll tell him everything i'm doing. 'We're going to get some milk now', and where we get to the milk isle i'll say wheres the milk. Even if he doesn't know what the item is and looks all confused at me, i'll say there it is and it is helping him learn as well as getting him more involved as he is starting to recognise a lot more foods. 

6) Stand your ground: This one is the hardest for me, Connor is always saying i'm too soft on Ryker. I'm not the best at this but what we got to remember is that our child is taking in EVERYTHING. If you let them get away with one thing then they think they'll just have their tantrum and get it again. You need to be firm and calmly explain the situation to your child. Never just say no, always explain why. Never give them rewards. i.e. Don't buy the toy they are crying for.

Thank you for reading, hope these tips have been useful. Do you have any other tips on coping with tantrums or have you tried any of these and did they work for you?