11 sure-fire ways to handle tantrums, according to Reddit mamas

When your toddler is screaming for milk, a toy or a snack in the middle of the grocery store, it may feel like your world is closing in on you. It might not seem like it in the moment, but tantrums are a normal part of your child’s development—it’s a child’s way of expressing how they feel.

But regardless of why little ones throw fits, it can be tough to navigate. We looked to the parenting threads on Reddit where mamas discuss the ins and outs as well as ups and downs of child-rearing. We were all ears.

Here’s the best tantrum advice Reddit mamas swear by:

1. Wait it out

“Tantrums are a toddler’s way of venting excess frustration, energy and emotion. Just wait it out and once it’s dying down, offer some comfort. After, talk with them and verbalize and validate their emotions.”— StayAtHome478936

2. Don’t entertain it

“Do not engage with them at all during a tantrum. It’s tempting to try to calm them down and introduce some reason to the situation, but don’t give in to that. Screaming is a one-way ticket to being completely ignored. They’re allowed to be frustrated and upset, but you’re not obligated to listen to it.”— VoteyDisciple

3. Give yourself a mommy break

“I give myself mommy time outs if I’m getting frustrated or angry and even though no one is enforcing me, I still get the benefit of calming myself down, and my daughter sees me proactively taking care of my mood/behavior.”— ChandrikaMoon

4. Let them explore their world

“If you have patience with misbehavior, you open the door to your child escalating until she has your full attention. I let my toddler explore her world and do anything I deem safe, but I am strict about enforcing safety rules and I do not allow her to misbehave without consequences.”— soMuchToFind

5. Focus on the real issue

“Rather than punishing the symptom of the issue, work on the actual issue. For my 4-year-old son we are working on breathing and counting as a coping mechanism for when emotions become too overwhelming. For him, it works well. He responds to most minor and medium emotions by breathing now.”— Hiitskai

6. Say ‘no’ less

“There is a school of thought that if the child reacts terribly every time you say ‘no,’ say ‘no’ less. Instead of no cookie you say you can have carrots or cheese now. Always offer one or two good choices when you can and it will head off at least some of the fits.”— toasterchild

7. Take away things

“My kid started showing signs of being low-level obsessed with a game so we took it away cold turkey. We explained that the game makes him behave in a way we don’t like, so we are going to take a break. Sure he wasn’t happy about it, but we are the adults and he is entitled to feel any way he wants to.”— greenpotatoes9

8. Offer breaks

“Daycare helped us so much with tantrums. They taught her the phrase ‘I need my space.’ So, when she has her tantrum, she goes away for a moment, and then comes back in a calmer state of mind. Often, the more we try to help her, the worse it gets.”— dave moe dee

9. Play music

“The main thing that almost never fails is listening to music during a tantrum. I’m really into music myself so I guess this is no huge surprise but my girl just cannot cry while Beyonce is playing.”— PavLovesDogs

10. Do something unrelated

“As long as the kid isn’t actively endangering themselves while throwing the temper tantrum, I completely ignore it. I make a point of going about my business and doing something wholly unrelated to whatever lead up to the tantrum. It didn’t take long for my kid to learn that the screaming and fussing won’t get them what they want.”— PerestroikaPal

11. Compromise

“If you give into a tantrum, find a way to make it seem like you’re compromising for some other reason, but not because of the tantrum. I always tell my 3 year old ‘You know how to ask. If you want something, use your words, ask nicely.”—athaliah

You might also like:

• 5 tantrum-taming secrets from a family therapist
• 5 easy changes that dramatically reduce toddler tantrums
• Why empathy is the best response to toddler tantrums