
Tantrums are common among one- and two-year-olds, as toddlers cry, hit, or melt down because they cannot articulate their wants and needs, crave attention, and adapt to newemotions. However, once your child reaches four and above, you must find ways to help them self-regulate their feelings and adopt the appropriate behaviors.
Yet, self-regulation isn’t always easy, especially if parents always solve problems for their kids or a child has anxiety, ADHD, or autism. Yet, various strategies can help every mom or dad manage a child’s emotions. Read this practical handbook for parents on guiding children through feelings.
Encourage Your Child to Talk to Someone
Children and teenagers can experience overwhelming emotions for various reasons, such as fluctuating hormones, a death in the family, their parents’ divorce, bullying, or problems at home. Unfortunately, they might become withdrawn, upset, or experience emotional outbursts.
If you are concerned about your son or daughter, you must encourage them to open up to you to navigate this difficult time. If they are unwilling to discuss how they feel with you, they might find it easier to talk to a grandparent, teacher, friend, or therapist.
Download Helpful Parenting Apps
Managing your child’s difficult emotions, improving communication, and preventing poor behavior can prove challenging for most parents. The good news is that various parenting apps are available to help children express themselves, develop emotional skills, and communicate their needs.
A prime example is this Autism App that provides endless content to help your son or daughter manage their emotions and develop their communication and social skills. For instance, you can download various resources at the click of a button, such as choice boards, visual schedules, reinforcement charts, and much more. Learn more about the helpful app and many more on makeuseof.com, which could help you find the right platform for your family’s needs.
Address Bad Behavior
Many children are often aggressive for one or more reasons, such as a difficult home life, a sudden lifestyle change, or the death of a loved one. Even if your son or daughter is going through a challenging time in their life, you must sit themdown to discuss their behavior and explain why it isn’t acceptable.
During the conversation, you should ask your child why they feel angry or frustrated and provide them with the freedom to discuss their emotions. You can then brainstorm ways for your child to manage their feelings, such as counting to ten when angry or upset, stepping away from a situation, or deep breathing.
Be a Positive Role Model
Children will look to their parents for guidance on how to act when stressed, angry, upset, or disappointed. If you often have angry or emotional outbursts when overwhelmed, your child might believe it is okay to do the same. For this reason, you must strive to be a positive role model to your child by finding calm, rational ways to manage difficult emotions and negative experiences.