Sometimes it’s easier for Mom to take a timeout…
Temper Tantrums – Always keep a good book in the bathroom, you never know who will be needing it.
When a child is tired and upset he or she will not always stay put for a “cool down time”. There is no perfect way. One time my oldest daughter Marie was four years old, way over tired and having a totally out of control crying temper tantrum. I had tried everything I knew at the time with none of it working. Rather than duct taping her to her bed which is what I wanted to do in that moment. I locked myself into the bathroom with a book and Marie pounding and sobbing on the door outside calling mommy, mommy, mommy at the top of her lungs. I told her as calmly as I could from my side of the door, that I would not open the door until I had heard 5 minutes of silence on the other side, then plugged my ears and read my book. I could still hear her through my plugged ears so knew she was safe but still not calm.
After about 15 minutes it was finally quiet on the other side of the door and I was able to come out and suggest (now calmer myself) that we cuddle on the couch for a bit to talk about it. She was exhausted and curled up in my lap, we cuddled and talked now both much calmer and worked out what was happening for her. Then she wanted to go to bed. It turned out all she really needed was some time with mommy she was just too tired to express it. By taking the cool down time myself I gave her and myself the time we needed to gain control of our anger so we could work things out in a calmer frame of mind.
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