Discipline Disasters: Some Innovative Ways to Stop Tantrums

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Embarrassed by your 3 year old shrieking in the grocery aisle? We've pooled some important tips on how to avoid the tantrum and get things back to smooth sailing.

Bribe.
As bad as it sounds, it works. Tell your little one she'll get a special treat if she does something she's supposed to do (like brushing her teeth or buckling her seat belt). For continuing bad behaviors, try a reward system where if she avoids the behavior for a week she gets a special prize at the end- and mark the days as they go.

Make it into a game.
Children love games, so instead of getting frustrated and worked up when your child doesn't listen, turn the task into a fun game like a race to see who can clean up fastest. It will keep both of you in a better mood, and help you get your way with your toddler.

Leave no room for "no."
If you're used to phrasing things as requests for your kids (do you want to eat dinner now?), try being more forward with direct statements(it's dinner time!). You can even add a question so your little one still feels like her will is being respected (would you like milk or juice?).

Demonstrate.
Our children look up to us and learn how to act by mimicking our own behavior. If you really want your three year old to get in the habit of doing something, like washing hands, start doing it yourself in front of her.

Defer to higher authority.
If your saying so isn't enough, try invoking someone else- like the doctor or dentist- and explain that what they say goes. This takes the blame off of you and doesn't leave room for argument.

Count.
Try giving warnings to your child instead of being insistent right away. This can take the form of a count down (come down here... 5,4,3,2,1) or a warning that she only has five more minutes of television left, giving her a chance to behave.