Temper Tantrums (3 years to 6 years old)
Children of this age are capable of putting on a great show including screaming, crying, protesting, swearing, making demands, physical resistance, throwing objects, spitting, hitting, biting, scratching, etc. “Redirection”, “extinction”, and “wait outs” continue to be appropriate responses by parents but it is also worth considering “time without reinforcement” (time out) and “withdrawal of privileges”. “Tracking” continues to be a useful strategy to use during those teachable moments.
Next post – dealing with tantrums by children 6 years and beyond.