Parents should simply ignore a child who throws a tantrum at home. He needs to know that he will not be allowed to disturb others and that his parents will listen to him when he's quiet. He may need to be held to quiet him down, but parents should not talk to him. Once the child is calm, parents can discuss what happened and how he could improve his behavior the next time he's upset. They can teach him to use words to express his feelings, suggest ways to politely ask for things he wants and praise him once he has calmed down.
Kids learn from their parents' example.
If parents remain calm, children are more likely to settle down too. By ignoring tantrums, parents let kids know that nothing is achieved by yelling and screaming. It's normal for kids to throw tantrums, but adults can teach them better ways of expressing themselves that will reduce their tendency to fly into a rage. Children s Hospital of Pittsburgh offers Positive Parenting classes and other parenting workshops. Current classes are listed on this Web site.