Dealing with tantrums

[Dee1401]

Hi I’m after some tips. My 18 month old daughter has just started having tantrums. She isn’t really talking so I think it’s where she is getting frustrated. Any tips on how to deal with the tantrums and ideas on how to calm her down.

Tantrums start as early as 12M so if your daughter is just starting now then you have been lucky! :) Consensus tends to say that redirection tends to be the best and most effective way as infants can be easily distracted from tantrums (they have very short term memories). In my own experience, if they were hungry or tired then nothing would work unless you actually feed them or put them to sleep but if it's just a general tantrum of them not getting what they want, then a simple "look" while pointing to the something interesting or just singing to them did the trick. It has always amazed me how quickly (within two seconds) they can go from a red distressed crying face to a bright laughing/smiling face :)

Aladdin has given some great tips. I'd also try her with some simple signs like milk, eat, more, mum, dad, sleep, hello and goodbye.