Raise your hand if you HATE bratty kids! Up! Up! Up! Yep, that's right. I definitely do. When I see a kid that is undisciplined or throwing fits, I seriously want to slap them upside the head and toss them into time-out (probably a bad combo, but notice I said "want to" not "do"). I absolutely
despise naughty children! I try not to let my little one associate with bad examples, to maintain his sweet and fairly-disciplined demeanor, but he's only just-about-one and has yet to reach the terrible twos and all that jazz. WHAT DO I DO IF HE BECOMES ONE OF THOSE BRATTY KIDS??? What if he starts throwing tantrums that I cannot control??? If any of you new (or experienced) mommies out there share my fears (or are already dealing with this awful dilemma)... Read this!
I found this article online, and I thought you all might be interested in it. It makes some good points, has some great ideas, and I found it to be helpful. Hopefully you will, too.
Here's to well-behaved, sweet little kiddos!
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What can I do about my baby's temper tantrums?
"My 10-month-old has a terrible temper. If you try to take something from her or stop her from doing something that might hurt her, she screams until she's red in the face. But when you give in, she's fine. Is there anything I can do to change this? "
Expert Answers-- Sandy Bailey, certified family life educator
Hold her, tell her she'll be okay, and distract her with another activity or object. She'll quickly forget about her complaints.
Babies have an amazing — and often aggravating — ability to make demands. But your baby needs to know that you care about her feelings, even when she expresses them by screaming or flailing her fists. It may look like she's throwing a fit, but she's really seeking reassurance. As long as you stick with your original decision — for instance, that she can't play with the remote control — no one can accuse you of "giving in." You're just giving her what she needs.
One of the best approaches to tantrums is to avoid them as much as possible. Pay attention to your baby's cues and try to anticipate her desires. You can reduce her frustration even more by giving her a safe place to explore where you won't constantly have to tell her no.
Screaming comes naturally to babies, and you can't force her to keep her temper. Spanking, swatting, and yelling are especially unhelpful. Your baby will only become more unhappy and distressed. If you're feeling angry, it's okay to put her in a safe place, like a play yard, and let her scream and cry until you have a chance to calm down. She can't have everything she wants, but she has to be able to count on you for comfort.
Community Answers
My eleven month old is going through the same problem. However, when she gets in her "moods", holding her does not help. Most of the time we try to offer her other toys and that usually helps. Other times when she refuses anything we try, we just let her roll around and cry for a few minutes before trying again. One thing we are trying now is having her help us put the "no no" items in a place where she cant reach them. For example if she found a piece of something on the floor that is garbage, I take her to the garbage can and help her throw it away and follow that with praise about how such a good girl she is. Hope this helps! ~Jenna~
posted 8/21/2007 by jzahn1222
I find that taking her away from the situation usually works. We walk outside or into a different room.
posted 8/26/2007 by 152552
My 10 month old son will throw little temper tantrums if I put him down or take away something he shouldn't have. I found that if I just walk away or turn around and ignore him, he will stop his temper tantrum within just a few seconds. I never give in to his temper tantrums as that only seems to make them worse the next time. Good luck!
posted 8/22/2007 by purplelvr13
My 11-month-old throws the same fits when you take something away. I used to just grab them out from her hands and let her cry, but I've decided to try something new. When she's in a good mood and has something in her hands, I'll try to play a game with her, such as "Can mommy have it?" or "Can you give that to mommy?" She'll hand it to me and I'll thank her with a smile, then hand it back so she doesn't think I'm going to keep it and repeat, "Can mommy have that?" And the game continues a couple of times, each time prolonging when I return it to her, ending with me just keeping it. So I've found that it helps when she's holding something she shouldn't, if I ask her to give it to me nicely in the same tone of voice, she'll be okay with giving it to me because she's not on the defensive. And surprisingly she hasn't thrown a fits as often.
posted 1/09/2008 by vonghamilton
My 10 month old is exactly like that. I try to gather up items he likes but can't have like cell phones, remote, pens and our oldest sons toys and put them out of sight. Talking to him softly and rubbing his back has helped as well as a firm "No".
posted 8/22/2007 by ehstiger88
My 10 month old little girl does get very upset when I have to tell her no or take something away. She goes to the extreme and bangs her head down on the floor. She turns red and cries so very hard. More like she's hurt than upset. Holding her to comfort her only makes matters worse. I still offer my love and comfort and if she will calm down long enough I offer her a special toy of hers or get her doing something she really enjoys. Such as looking in the mirrors with her or dancing. The important thing is to show them you are in charge, all the while doing this with lots of love and comfort. At such an early age they need to know that you care for them and they can trust you no matter what. Stay consistent at it and you'll see just how important it really is as they get older! (Mom of a five year old, three year old and a 10 month old.) Hope this helps!!!! posted 11/30/2007 by soon2b3n2007
My 10 month old screams every time we sit down to eat a meal. He has a tray full of food bot he wants what mom and dad are eating. He will scream "MOM!" at the top of hid lungs until I give him a bite of my food. Instead of giving in like I had initially, I will show him his plate and say firmly, "NO-this is your food." and give him a bite. If he continues to scream we say no and ignore the behavior. I know it may sound cruel to some, but when distracting your child doesn't work, just pretend like they aren't doing anything because more often than not they are just looking for attention; especially if your kid is always in the limelight like ours is!
posted 8/26/2007 by dawnstew
My eleven-month-old son has always been easy-going and affectionate until recently. He has started doing the common tantrum if I take a piece of garbage away from him or lay him down to change him. I find that singing and flirting help a lot, especially while diaper changing. I made up a song that sounds like the hokey pokey about changing his diaper and telling him I love him and it always makes him smile. I guess this is where the clash between independence and attachment gets serious. It'll be a challenge, but I'm excited for him growing up!
posted 12/21/2007 by katrinangel
The very last thing you should do is give in or bribe your child. No means no and I mean no. If you want to be in control of you house in a year or two from now, show your child who's boss. And it's completely possible to do this while still showing love and attention. I don't care if you have to say NO one thousand times, move your child to another room, put him/her in their crib and let them scream, etc. Never give in, you will regret it later. I see so many parents w/ their kids in the grocery store or at a restaurant and the kids are obviously in charge. There are even some parents that won't take their kids anywhere in fear of how the kids will act in public. That's outrageous! Who's the adult here?! And why did they have children if they can't enjoy them?! I strongly believe if you teach your child what's right and wrong w/ love in mind, your children will grow up to be happy, respectful, loving children and then adults. The Sky's the limit! Good Luck!
posted 12/30/2007 by littlelady1969
My 7 month old goes through this. She gets extremely mad when I don't figure out what wants fast enough or when she doesn't get what she wants. She cries and screams as well as scratches, pinches and hits me. I know she has a temper but with her being so little there's not much I can do about it. What I do is put her down to let her know that her behavior is not acceptable and let her have her tantrum but I stay where she can see me to reassure her I'm still there but I don't pay any attention to her during her tantrum. Doing that seems to help some.
posted 12/30/2007 by lovemybaby00
The End... and Good Luck! ;)
