As parents, we’ve all seen our share of temper tantrums. đł Kicking, screaming, writhing on the floorâitâs all a normal part of growing up, right?
Turns out, not all meltdowns are created equal! Yes, temper tantrums are totally normal in toddlers and preschoolersâbut according to a Washington University study, there are 5 signs of more extreme tantrums that mean some bigger issues might be at play.
Of course, many kiddos will display these behaviors every once in a while. But if your child is doing any of these things MOST of the time, itâs a good idea to bring it up with the pediatrician.
1
One is your child showing aggression or violence, to the point where you have to physically protect yourself (or important objects) during MOST tantrums.
2
Another is your child frequently trying to hurt themselvesâbiting or scratching themselves, banging their head against the wall, things like that.
3
Third, frequent tantrums are something to look out for. What does that mean? Think of it as 10 to 20 tantrums a month at homeâor more than 5 tantrums a day when youâre out.
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The fourth sign is when super long tantrums are the norm for your kidâI know, they all SEEM super long, but Iâm talking about when meltdowns almost always last more than 25 minutes. Thatâs a problem.
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And the last sign is when a kid just canât calm themselves down after a tantrum. So if you have to remove them from the scene or bribe them almost every time instead of waiting it out, this might be something to keep an eye on.
Remember that everyone has bad days, and even *REALLY* bad days (kiddos included)âyou donât need to worry about these red flags unless they apply to almost all of your kidâs recent tantrums.
But if so, itâs worth talking with a pediatrician to see if thereâs an underlying issue. And itâs worth giving yourself a break, because youâve been dealing with a LOT. đȘ
