What’s not  a big deal to us grown ups can be a huge deal with our toddlers, emotions and feelings that are new or overwhelming for our little ones can be a reason why they sometimes struggle to fall asleep or  getting back to sleep when our little ones wake up!<blog_break>

At times when our little ones are having a meltdown or tantrum try to remember (I know this is easier said than done) that a tantrum is really your little ones struggling to deal with something and that sometimes they need our help to deal and cope with those feelings.

It doesn’t mean giving them what they think they want, Sometimes it’s just acknowledging to them what they are feeling and allowing them to space to feel it and then calm down from it. 

It’s really really easy, when sleep deprived to react impulsively when your toddlers kicking off,  but remembering that meltdowns and tantrums are just your child’s way of communicating to you.

A tantrum is their way of saying “ I can’t deal with this can you help me with it”. That doesn’t  mean doing whatever necessary to stop the  tantrum & tears, it can mean just acknowledging what he or she is feeling and allowing them to feel it in that moment.

Kids will sometimes have tantrums because you’ve put boundaries in place, they  don’t like those boundaries and are mad about it, does that mean you allow them to push those limits because you don’t want them to be angry? Anger is an emotion like any other and at some point in life it’s an emotion that they will experience. It’s ok to be mad or angry. It’s a normal emotion and a learning opportunity for your toddler. They can be angry and they can calm down from it if you show them how, but they won’t learn how to deal with anger and other negative emotions if we don’t allow them to feel them, develop an understanding of them and learn how to calm down. Our little ones rarely listen to what we say but they do pay attention to how we behave. 

Its our job to calm the chaos not join in with it!

Do you have any tips for dealing with toddler tantrums and meltdowns? Share with us what works for you in the comments.

 

Having a toddler who refuses to sleep can be super challenging. Finding solutions for toddler sleep that are gentle and evidence based can be even more challenging....until now. I've worked with families with children under 2 for nearly 20 years both day & night. I created this e-book with 10 of my top tips to help you get your toddler or preschooler sleeping again. You can download it to your Kindle or Smartphone or tablet, and carry out the tips of your choice right away!! Click here to download your toddler sleep e-book for FREE right here click here  ( or click the pic!)