Parenting as a Christian Single Dad

Before you had kids do you remember being in the grocery store waiting in the check-out line when a child with her mom in front of you was kicking and screaming and you thought, “How annoying - my kids won’t act like that.” Then years later there you are in the check-out line with your own kids and guess what happens? You guessed it, BAM, there goes the temper tantrum. It is at that moment you realize that as a parent you can’t control every action of your child and you instantly can relate to every other parent out there that has gone through the same thing.

Stopping temper tantrums is easier than you think, however, you need to understand why they typically occur and it isn’t your child’s problem as much as it is yours. There are reasons your children act out at certain times and it basically revolves around three things; being tired, hungry, or angry.

If children don’t get the rest they need they can become a living nightmare. Kicking and screaming to the point you want to pull your hair out. This could happen anywhere. This goes for when they are hungry as well. There are certain days that as parents, in our mad dash to get things done with our child in tow, we forget about time. Because of this the next thing we know we missed lunch and nap time for our child. One second they seem just fine and the next all heck is breaking loose.

Temper tantrums can typically be stopped before they start by observing your child and watching for signs of hunger and sleepiness. Prevent them from starting by giving them a snack or taking a break so they can take a nap. Most tantrums are because of these reasons. On occasion your child will throw a fit because they did not get their own way and I will tell you what my mom did to break me of that as a child. Splashed cold water in my face! Yep, she said that did the trick.

Stop temper tantrums from happening by watching for the queues and taking care of your child’s needs before it is too late. Ultimately it is our fault that they got out of control and we should not be too hard on them. Chances are when you give them a snack or by the time you get them buckled into their car seat and 30 seconds on the road they will be fast asleep and they will soon be little angels again.