Tantrum Takedown: 3 Ways to Avoid Them

Steps parents can take to reduce the number of meltdowns.

You can see it coming. Clenched fists. Reddening face. Drawn breath. It doesn’t matter where you are. A tantrum is on its way. No toddler is going to make it through childhood completely tantrum-free, but there are steps parents can take to reduce the number of meltdowns.

How to Avoid a Tantrum:

1. Respect the routine.

Toddlers crave structure. You don’t have to have every minute of your child’s day planned, but sticking to the same general schedule will keep your child feeling safe and comfortable.

2. Never miss a naptime.

A key part of your routine should be naptime. Toddlers need to rest for at least an hour every afternoon. When at all possible, avoid running errands when your child would usually be snoozing.

3. Stay strong.

Your toddler is living on whims at this point, and while giving in to every one of them may make your life easier in the moment, it will make it much harder in the long run. When your child is used getting whatever he or she wants, you’ll almost certainly get a tantrum in response to a ‘no.’