The Truth about Tantrums: 8 Things You Should Know

According to Kratz, sometimes finding the best way of approaching your child's tantrum may be to keep its power level in check. "The fact that your child had a tantrum shouldn't change anything. It's important that children feel neither punished or rewarded for the tantrum." What does this mean? After a tantrum, life should go on exactly as it did before—don't take away anything you'd promised your child before the tantrum and don't fall into the trap of giving in or offering treats when it's over.

In the end, it may help to think of tantrums as special training grounds from which kids learn the skills of soothing themselves and managing their own behavior. Remind yourself that your child's temper tantrums are learning experiences. Attempting to see tantrums in the bigger developmental picture may help you pull through them with fewer feelings of frustration and even some sense of accomplishment.