4 steps in handling a meltdown

It's terribly frustrating to hear those constant tantrums. It's easy if what the kid is asking for is something feasible like she can't open her toy box on her own. You can simply ask her if she needs your help and voila! The tantrum stops.

But there are those moments that kids will be asking for something unreasonable. Just recently, my kid asked for a toy baby bottle to be opened just like her feeding bottles. But then I will have to break the toy to do that and so the nerve-wracking cry starts.

It feels like your ears are about to explode. Sometimes, you yourself wanted to cry too (I actually did sometimes).But through trial and errors, these are the steps I used whenever my daughter starts her meltdown.

• Stay calm

It's actually the hardest but most important part in handling a meltdown. The more frustrated you are, the more frustrated the kid will be. I usually count 1 to 10 and do a breathing exercise before facing my daughter.

• Let the child express themselves

I let my daughter cry for at least 20 seconds without talking. I don't dare to reason out as she is distraught and will not listen (Let's face it. Adults are unreasonable when distraught too.). I just let her cry (I'm just right in front of her). I keep on telling myself that even adults can have a hard time controlling their emotions and it's definitely harder for a child who doesn't have much life experience right? But I make sure that she's not hurting herself or anybody in the process.

• Hug your child

As soon as she allows me to carry her (sometimes it takes more than 20 seconds), I put her head on my shoulder and hug her. I allow some time for her to feel that I am there for her, that I care for her, and I love her. It's amazing what a hug can do to kids.

• Divert the attention

This is the part where I learn to be very creative. "Oh look at that picture! It's so pretty!", "Oooh... What's that? It's so colorful!", or I will give her a different toy or anything that will get her attention and put her in a different part of the house (from the living room to the dining room) so she will forget about the reason for her meltdown.

Whenever I am pretty sure that there will be no more meltdowns (for the same issue) and everything is calm, that's the moment that I talk to her regarding what happened. I explain to her why we cannot do it and try to offer her a more positive way in dealing with it. 

I hope this helps you, and I will be very glad to know how you handle yours so I can learn from it too. Feel free to comment below!