Keep in mind that your child’s tantrum is nobody’s business but yours. Many kids this age still have tantrums, and some of them are bound to happen in public. It doesn’t mean you’re a bad parent, only that you’re the parent of a preschooler. People may be looking at you, but it’s very possible that they’re feeling sympathetic, not critical. Regardless of any looks you get, remember that your child doesn’t understand your embarrassment. Public tantrums aren’t meant to humiliate you, so treat your child the same as you would if the tantrum happened at home.
—
Judith Hudson, developmental psychologist
Good advice for anybody dealing with a toddler or preschooler. Public tantrums and misbehavior are somehow much more embarrassing and difficult to deal with. I think it is the know-it-all judgementalism that other people can sometimes have. Funny thing is that most of the people I know who judged other people’s parenting skills stopped doing it when they became parents themselves.
My son turned 4 last month so we don’t deal with as many tantrums these days. In my opinion…just like the experts say…being calm and consistent with consequences makes a big difference in calming down children and teaching them to behave appropriately. But it doesn’t happen overnight! Patience and consistency matter.
