“The first, and most important step, is that parents need to stay calm during their toddler’s public tantrums. This is an insanely hard thing to do as tantrums are specifically designed to trigger you into action (emphasis on the word ‘trigger’). More specifically, public tantrums are challenging because most folks worry that they’re being judged by the other adults around them. In all honesty, it’s entirely possible that you are being judged, but other people’s judgment is not your problem, so try to let that go if you can. (It will get easier with practice, I promise!)
If you’re in a place where it’s inappropriate to stay (examples: the quiet room of the public library, a movie theatre, a restaurant, etc.), then leave. Just get out of there. Yes, your plans will be disrupted, and it’s annoying, but what can I say? Toddlers are an inconvenient truth. (This happened to me during a Mother’s Day brunch one year. My then-three-year-old daughter saw an ant on the floor and completely lost it. She was inconsolable and refused to leave with my husband. I spent my Mother’s Day Brunch sitting in the car with a screaming child while my husband, one-year-old, and in-laws finished their meal. I ate left-overs on the way home. Sigh.)
Read the full article and more of my thoughts over on Offspring – Lifehacker.
