Do children with good speech skills have less tantrums than children who are slower to learn speech?

[morningpaper]

Do children with good speech skills have less tantrums than children who are slower to learn speech?

My two were early talkers and have not had tantrums. Do you think the two things are related? Tantrums seem to be (largely) about frustration, and I wonder whether communicating better means less frustration?

What do you think?

lol at mardy MB.

Comparing our two this has certainly been the case but I prefer DDs tantrums to DS's sulks!

Not as simple as that ime . ds spoke ok and was fairly placid with occasional tantrum , dd spoke earlier and is just more temperamental.

Definately disagree. My ds has speech delay and has very few tantrums. He has learnt to express himself in other ways. Interestingly he showed empathy at a much earlier age than the "norm".

Journey, that is very interesting, ds is the same...

ds1 (2.5) wasn't a very early talker but his language has exploded over the last few months. He is bilingual and forms complex, grammatically correct sentences in both languages. He has tantrumlets fairly regularly, but almost always comes out of them very quickly. I agree with whoever said understanding is probably more the issue. I'm finding myself increasingly able to stop a antrum by explaining matters. Distraction also still works.

I'd go along with CarGirl here - I think that reasoning ability is more critical in avoiding frustration than speech alone.

My daughter doesn't have tantrums unless she is overtired and being asked to do things that are beyond her because of that. But she's very good at reasoning and at understanding logical arguments. Her language skills aren't fantastic for her age - but she is learning two simultaneously, so that is to be expected. However, her reasoning ability is better than average (according to her class teacher).

Define tantrum?

Dcs have got the hump and got upset, but we've never had the whole screaming/shouting/tears/stamping thing that I assume people mean by tantrums. I think mine were born with the 'sulky' gene instead. Quite handy, as I could send them to their rooms (and they would go!!) from about the age of 12/18 mths, and they'd lay on the bed for about 3 minutes before coming back in in a nice sunny mood.

DSs were very late talkers, DD was a lot earlier but she was the only one who would lay down in the middle of the pavement as a protest

In this house ds was an early talker (& a late walker) but still loads of tantrums.

I'd say yes, in my experience - ds good communicator and no tantrums

As the child's mother said, "I now know where the expression "hopping mad" comes from. When her dd has a tantrum, she jumps and stamps her feet! Quite impressive to see how high she can jump.

Ds was a VERY frustrated and angry baby who seemed to be constantly wanting to get onto the next stage. (even my HV said she meets some babies who absolutely hate being babies)

We did a bit of baby signing with him so he could basically commmunicate with us but he didn't actually talk till he was 2, with virtually nothing before hand. He observed (and still does) and then seemed to come out with a few words and then full sentences.

He's now 3.7 and extremely articulate and we can now work with his when he is angry/frustrated etc. He has never had what I would assume to be a full blown tantrum ie rolling on the floor, kicking, screaming lashing out. In fact we remarked that the terrible twos were a doddle...

...we are just now in the middle of psychological warefare with him as he tries to outwit us all the time both verbally and mentally.

Which I have to say is far more wearing...

I'm with cargirl and Lucyellensmum on this - I think it's as much about personality and ability to be reasoned with and communicate whatever way.

With ds (2.4, only just starting 3 words together, poor pronounciation so we don't always understand him, and not very verbal) he whines a lot but all-out tantrums aren't so common. He is great at responding to reasoning e.g. the other day he was whining about not having his nappy changed and I just said 'but if you don't have it changed you'll get a very dirty nappy and you'll get a sore bottom and it will hurt' and down he went straight onto his changing mat. We do stuff like that all the time and it's great compared to pre-18months when he wouldn't get it so much.

But all other things being equal (personality, ability to be reasoned with) I reckon it probably does make it a bit harder for them if they can't communicate.

DS who is deaf communicated with some sign language at 1-2 years old. No tantrums. DD1 (hearing) has an amazing vocabulary. She's 2.7 and no tantrums so far. I put it all down to my exceptional parenting skills...

my two were the same as cali's!

My dd was an early talker and had about half a dozen tantrums around the time she was 18 months old.

It was always in response to a No from me and I would then put her in the another room and hold the door shut and wait 1.5 minutes.During this time she was like a child possessed on other side, screaming,kicking door and spitting

I would then calmly open the door and say are you going to stop that and if she carried in she would stay for another 1.5 minutes.

I think the reason we only experienced a few tantrums was because she quickly learnt that they got her nowhere but in answer to the post I think the fact she had a good understanding at 18 months enabled her to do so.

nope. both my kids were great with their speech from an early age.

ds, golden child. the most perfectly behaved toddler ever.

dd, toddler from hell.

DD1 started talking and throwing major wobblies from 10 months, and didn't stop until she was 11 years old Funny you should mention the Drama gene- she has just graduated from a drama degree!

The boys didn't have tantrums. DS3 didn't speak until he was about 2 1/2 (and also has the drama gene) so the theory doesn't hold water for us at all I'm afraid.

both my boys were very early talkers and this hasn't eased the tantrums at all - just because they can articulate what they want, sadly (for them) doesn't change a 'no' to a 'yes' - ie 'can I have icecream for breakfast?' from 18 month old 'NO', cue huge huge tantrums etc. Also, they can respond to the fob off 'would you like your dinner on the red plate or the blue plate?' 'I don't WANT dinner'. Still, I suppose at least I know what is wrong with them, so I don't have to guess.....

Not in my view I have a short-tempered, easily frustrated well articulated child. I find tantrums despairing as she can talk so well and I never pander to them but they still persist. (sob)