Tantrum behaviour

[Ludr35]

Baby 8 months has just discovered how to have melt downs how can I try and prevent such behaviour?
He's had his food, he is not tired he has plenty of things around him to play with ...

Please help! I'd like to nip it in the bud so he doesn't allow this behaviour to continue later in life. Thank you.

Does he crawl? My first got so mad when he was on the brink of starting. It was frustration of having the will to move but not the ability. He might calm down once he’s got it! I used to get down and show him to encourage him.
Or if you don’t think it’s that, Perhaps he’s gettig overstimulated and needs more sleep in the day?
Good luck! Xx

You can’t stop it and it’s not naughty behaviour.

Tantrums are when children become overwhelmed with emotions and don’t know how to deal with them. Emotions are new to babies and they only have concept of the immediate so it can be very over whelming. It is a bit like learning to walk when they have to fall a lot to find their balance they have to explore how to deal with emotions to find a healthy way to deal with them by dealing with them badly.

The best thing you can do it acknowledge that you can see he is feeling angry, frustrated or upset and just keep offering cuddles and saying ‘Mummy knows how you feel. Mummy is here’.

Make sure you talk about emotions so he can recognise them and has a vocabulary to talk about them. When my toddler is staring at another crying child, as they do, I say ‘look , the little boy is sad’ and we talk about why he might be sad and what will make him feel better. The same for other emotions, angry, happy etc.

There is a book called how to talk so little children listen which lots of people like.

Thank you perhaps you are right it is frustration of not being able to crawl! As he is on the brink. xXx

Thank you I will read this book. Sounds fab! xXx

The book is aimed at 2 to 7 years old but you might find of helpful.

This is not a boast but my daughter has amazing language skills for her ages which makes life easier. She can tell me she is crying because he now wants blue trousers not pink trousers. I am convinced sign and sign has helped her language development. Anything which helps them communicate will be a bonus.