Pure Parents

Question:

ROFL!!!!  I started reading this and thought "oh my God, she’s going to squirt him like you squirt a cat to teach it not to jump on the table (which doesn’t work anyway!) "Bad Baby! No Tantrum!" <spritz spritz> Just kidding, it sounds like a pretty creative idea actually. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> At home, I find that the quickest way to press the "off" switch is with a > spraybottle filled with water.   The kid starts screaming and thrashing > around, and, I wait about 2 minutes (it usually stops before then because he > gets tired).   If he is still shrieking and writhing on the floor, I pick up > said bottle and spritz his hand.  Instant quiet.  Confusion as he looks at > his hand.   If he licks his hand, I offer him a drink of water.  That > usually calms him down.   Sometimes, his face is all hot and he will come > over and indicate he wants his face spritzed (closes eyes and makes "sschz" > noise).    Most of the time I seize the opportunity and redirect him to > something else, like coloring, or blocks, or snack….etc. > Now mind you, my kid is only 2.  If he were 12, this may not work as well.

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> >> >What have you found that works for temper tantrums? > >> I ignore her for _a_few_minutes_ (fewer than 5).  I don’t want to give > >> her the impression that I am doing her bidding by responding > >> immediately. > >Why not? What are you afraid of! If she finds out you care and you’ll > >come she won’t yell so loud because she’ll learn she doesn’t HAVE to!!! > >She might even tell you what she’d like you to bring with you! > >A tantrum is not some effort to manipulate, it is a frustratiion storm > >born of being disregarded, disrespected, and dishonored by you. If you > >don’t DO those things then they will not have reason to descend into > >total frustration! > So, you buy your child everything they want?  What about tantrums > caused by a child being told he can’t have that toy? > Laur