The Mother of All Temper Tantrums: A Short Guide to Surviving Meltdowns

My guide to temper tantrums for one year olds and younger…

So, sometime between last week when L was almost 11 months old and this week when she is 11 months old, she decided to go from sweet infant to terrible tot. I might be exaggerating a bit but she does tend to be more on the dramatic side (gee, no clue where she got that from…)

For instance, we got a kitten. She ignored the kitten for a few days and then the kitten walks near her little personal bubble and cue instant meltdown. End of the world. Here I am thinking the cat scratched her or tried to nibble her toes but nope, she just walked a little too close.

Another recent scenario that shows the grand difference between a 10 month old and 11 month old is taking things away that may be dangerous or are just not toys. A prime example of this would be when we take away a cigarette butt she finds on the ground. She used to be super easy to fool. I could throw the butt or hide whatever she had and play stupid, asking her, “Where did it go?” (you know, with a huge voice influx at “go”) But now, at 11 months old, she will search for that shit. She will look high and low, screaming and whining the entire time. She gives up after a couple minutes and will sit and cry these huge crocodile tears, like the ones that nearly drowned Alice in Alice in Wonderland. How do I deal with this?

I don’t. I ignore mostly. I go about my business and let her throw a fit. Giving her attention only makes it worse, so I’ve learned. There are some instances where I do have to find something to distract her because she will follow me everywhere, tugging my pants off until I trip and nearly fall to my death. We can’t have that obviously so I will try to redirect her attention to something else, usually food, because sometimes we just get hangry (she is my kid, after all).

What works for my kid may not work for yours though. Maybe your child needs a little dance break or some outside time. Others may need some serious coddling. Don’t feel bad if you literally have no idea how to help your child cope with their emotions. Mine is really good at figuring things out on her own but there are definitely times where I reassure her she is fine like a broken record. There have been times after a tantrum (like today’s, see photo) where I literally held her and told her I love her and that she is okay.

So regardless of what you do, just know you are doing great. You are good enough.

Love,

The Honest Mom