19 Parents Speak About the Unusual Methods They Use to Control Children’s Tantrums

There is no doubt that children are a great blessing for those who want them in their lives. However, one thing is true, and that is that they should not be underestimated. They can throw a tantrum at any moment without notice, and we, as adults, do not always know how to calm them down.

Fortunately, some have developed efficient strategies to appease them and are not afraid of sharing them. Let’s dive in!

• The first and only time my daughter threw a tantrum, I bent down and told her, “Either you stop crying and behave or I’m taking you back in the house and leaving you alone.” She didn’t stop, so I took her by the hand, turned around, and left her home. To this day, I never knew what came over me. © Kelly Christina Tello / Facebook
• My nephew threw a tantrum when he was 2 years old. I just stayed calm, knelt down so he would listen to me, and explained that he was such a good boy, so I didn’t understand why he was behaving like that. I continued saying that he was not like those children who misbehave. He got up, I wiped his tears, thanked him, and kissed him. He is the cutest little boy in the world, so it wasn’t hard to make him understand. © Araceli Cobos / Facebook
• My son, the youngest of the 3, had temper tantrums; he would scream and cry without tears, just to get my attention. In one of those episodes, we were in the house, so I took a glass of water and threw water at his face. He was shocked and scared, and never did it again. It worked for me and I didn’t hurt him. He is now 22 years old and still jokes about it. © Hilda Gaytan / Facebook

• I remember one day I read something about tantrums; they talked about how you should explain to the children that you don’t have money for toys, so if they are going to ask for something, then they’d better not tag along. I have used it with my son and my nephews, and it works. When I go out with my son, I tell him to take his savings with him in case he wants to buy something. That way, he looks at the prices and decides for himself not to buy anything, so he doesn’t run out of money. © Ana M Ramos / Facebook
• My son once threw a tantrum at me in the doorway of the house when we were going for a walk with his aunt, uncle, and cousin. I told the others to leave because we weren’t going out. I took him up to the house, and we stayed in. He never misbehaved like that again. © Mari Carmen Gómez Español / Facebook
• My son threw a tantrum in the store when he was 2 years old. He wanted a toy, so he started kicking and then threw himself on the floor. He wouldn’t calm down. I grabbed him tightly by the hand, left everything as it was, and walked home (it was only 2 blocks away). The next 3 or 4 times I went to the store, I told him, “I’m going to the store, but you’re staying for whining.” When I finally took him back, he was the best-behaved child in the store. © Mirna Castillo / Facebook

• My son once threw a tantrum in a store. It was only once because I very calmly walked past him and kept walking. When he didn’t see me around, he got scared, got up, and went after me. Never again. © Maijo Sanabria / Facebook
• When I see a kid making a scene, I approach the mom (making sure that the boy or girl sees me) and ask her if she will give me the child who is throwing the tantrum because I collect them. The moms play along and say yes. Automatically, the children get up quietly and obey their mother! It’s a lot of fun. © Elsy Ausencias / Facebook

• After my husband couldn’t control my daughter’s tantrum over wanting candy at the mall, my son asked for my help in controlling the situation. I returned to the scene and in a calm voice asked my 2-year-old daughter, “Where’s your bag?” She immediately stopped crying and screaming, and replied, “I don’t have it.” To which I said, “Well, if you want the candy so badly, let’s go get your wallet, so you can pay for it with your money.” She never threw a tantrum again. © Cecilia Delgado / Facebook
• My son threw a tantrum once, and I had to get down to his level and explain to him why I was NOT going to buy him X toy. Since he continued with the tantrum, we didn’t do the next thing on the list, which was to go to his grandma’s house. Instead, we went back to the house, and he learned that every action has a consequence.
  Another time, he let go of my hand and ran across the street. Luckily, there was no car coming, but he was left without his favorite toy for a whole week, and boy, did it hurt, but he learned. © Nicole Torres / Facebook
• When my son threw a tantrum, I started clapping my hands and encouraging him to do it even louder. Everyone started looking at me. I don’t know where I read that it worked, and it did. Kids want to get attention, and if they see the opposite happening, you throw them off guard. © Angeles Delicado / Facebook

• Always before going out somewhere, I would explain to my son where we were going, what we were going to do and whether or not I had enough money to buy him something. I would tell him that it was an outing for both of us to enjoy, even if it was just to run some errand. If I didn’t have money to buy him something, I would take him to the playground for just 5 minutes, and it always worked. Talk, talk, and talk with them, that’s the key! © Cynthia Crespo / Facebook
• My youngest daughter was 5 years old — she is now 31,— and she threw a giant tantrum. She said, “If you don’t buy me what I want, I won’t shut up and will stay here on the floor.” I sat down next to her and threw the same tantrum.
  Then she looked at me and whispered, “Mommy, people are looking at you.” And I replied, “If you stand up and be quiet, I will do the same.” She looked at me and said, “You can get me that toy some other time,” and we went home. On the way there, she said to me, “Mommy, you are so childish.” I still am. © Flor Herrera Opazo / Facebook
• My toddler was having a massive tantrum until she found a grape on the floor. She ate it and forgot why she was crying. © BunAndLeggings / Twitter

Kids can throw tantrums, but with patience and understanding, they learn to navigate their emotions as they grow, and we can also get benefits from them.