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Managing Daycare Temper TantrumsHow to Control Tantrums in the Daycare Setting
A temper tantrum is a negative emotional reaction involving such behaviors as crying, screaming, hitting, kicking and breath holding.
Preschool teachers and childcare providers have the task of managing, reducing, and preventing tantrums. It is the child care provider’s job to shut a temper tantrum down as soon as possible and give the child the clear message that tantrums do not pay off. There are a few ways to accomplish this: remain calm and redirect the child. Remaining Calm Helps Manage Temper TantrumsAs with most behavioral issues in the preschool setting, the key to minimizing the situation is to remain steady and calm. Lonna Corder, renowned parenting expert and creator of the Lonna Corder Individual Parenting Plan (LIPP), contends that the absolute foolproof method of handling temper tantrums is to meet an emotional toddler with little to no emotion. In other words, child care providers should not become drawn into the child’s tears and anger. If an adult reacts in an emotionally charged manner, the child will sense the frustration and the problem will escalate. When a child is throwing a tantrum the teacher may simply say, “You can be as angry as you like, but you will not return to the class until your body is calm". Just make sure to provide a safe place to tantrum and let the tantrum run its course. How to Redirect a Tantruming ChildRefocusing a preschooler's attention can help to calm the situation. Dr. Jed Baker, author of No More Meltdowns: Positive Strategies for Managing and Preventing Out-Of-Control Behavior [Future Horizons, 2008], recommends redirecting the child to a favorite book or stuffed animal, providing a hug, or taking the child for a walk outside the room. Be careful that refocusing does not turn into a reward. Dr. Baker warns that if children are tantruming to avoid doing a task and you give them something fun to do, you may accidentally reward the tantrum. "So when tantrums occur to avoid a task, it is better to help the child learn to calmly ask for a break rather than rewarding tantrum-like behavior," says Dr. Baker. He suggests saying, "Instead of yelling, can you say 'I need a break' or 'This is hard, can you help me?'" Do not lecture, yell, or put the child in timeout. Lectures, screaming, and timeout are all equally as rewarding as the child getting his or her way. The bottom line is if the child discovers this behavior does not reward him, the tantrums will end. For more information about temper tantrums, see Daycare Temper Tantrums.
The copyright of the article Managing Daycare Temper Tantrums in Day Care Behavior Issues is owned by Carla Snuggs. Permission to republish Managing Daycare Temper Tantrums in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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