When Should Your Child Stop Having Tantrums?
If your child’s temper tantrums are becoming worse, or they seem to be escalating into physical aggression against you, other people or property, you should seek help from your health care provider.
Tantrums are a normal part of your child’s development, and are an expression of their emotions. They are also a way for children to learn how to manage their big feelings.
Preschoolers
Most kids have tantrums from around 12 months until age 4. But if your child is older than 4 and still having frequent meltdowns, it may be time to talk to a doctor.
The first step is to understand what causes tantrums. They typically happen when kids are feeling a lot of frustration, especially if they can’t say what they want or need in a way that adults can understand them.
They can also occur when children feel out of control, which can be due to things like being tired or hungry. It’s important to identify these triggers and try to avoid them as much as possible.
In addition, kids need to learn how to regulate their emotions and reactions so that they can calm down when something upsets them. This is an important skill for them to develop and gain over time.
School-age children
As children mature, they learn how to calm themselves and understand that their actions have consequences. This helps them to understand the need for self-control and is a key part of reducing tantrums as they get older.
Young children haven’t developed the ability to control their emotions, so they often have tantrums in response to frustration or unmet needs. These tantrums can include screaming, stiffening limbs, rolling on the floor, throwing things or thrashing about.
Kids are able to understand their feelings from around 12 months, but it takes time to develop skills that will help them regulate their emotions and behaviour. This means identifying triggers like tiredness, hunger, worries and fears that can lead to tantrums.
Teenagers
A tantrum is an outburst of emotions that a child experiences when they are overwhelmed or frustrated. They may feel like they aren’t being heard or that they aren’t getting what they want.
Often times, these outbursts are normal and stop on their own as kids gain self-control. But for some teenagers, their anger outbursts don’t go away and they continue to escalate.
The reason why teens have more outbursts during puberty is due to the rapid changes in their bodies and brains that occur at this time of development.
It can also be related to situational factors. During this age, teens are balancing their desire to be independent with their need for parental guidance and protection.
If your teen is struggling with this, you should seek out help from a mental health professional. These individuals can help your teen manage their angry outbursts and develop positive coping skills. They will also be able to work with you on how to prevent these behaviors in the future.
Adults
When kids are young, they don’t have the language skills or impulse control to express their feelings effectively. Tantrums are a way for them to express their emotions and frustration.
Fortunately, as they mature and grow up, kids gain these skills. This decreases tantrums and helps them learn to self-regulate their emotions better.
Children also often save tantrums for times when they feel safe and secure with their parents and family members. This can be especially helpful when they’re dealing with strong, difficult emotions like agitation, grief, and anger.
If your child’s temper tantrums have gotten out of hand, it may be time to seek professional help. This may be necessary for safety reasons, but it can also give you a chance to work with your child on how to handle big emotions in the future.