Recipe for surviving mommy-hood is, a bowl full of weirdness with a hint of a sense of humor and oodles of laughter in everyday situations that a parent comes across.

Being mommy is not a cake walk! It is a challenge if dealt with prudence, can go a long way in forming beautiful connect with your munchkins. There are moments that aren’t rosy and may want us to give up on our sanity. That’s where our effort should be, so that sense prevails! I am sharing some tips for handling toddler tantrums with you.

The other day we were travelling back home after a three-day long Punjabi family wedding. The wedding was super fun and my toddler girls had their defined zone of fun and play. While returning home my younger one who is 2 years old was in a freaky mood all through the journey. The quiet child (who otherwise is always chatty) that the entire family got introduced to in the last three days, changed everyone’s perspective in a moment.

A little jostling among my girls, lead to a huge let down for my younger daughter. So, right from rubbing herself against the floor to throwing her belongings away was just the beginning of the journey. Passers-by raised eyebrows, some even tried to soothe the wailing toddler but it only added more angst in her. I being her mom should have set her straight by looking at peoples expressions, instead, I chose to laugh out loud on this entire incident (off course by hiding my face from my little one as that would have added more fuss). After a few minutes, she realized if she doesn’t get up she can miss the flight, so she got up herself and was completely normalized by then. She walked all the way like a well-behaved child.

Who knew there was more to the weirdness showcased at the airport, this time targeting mommy and the air-hostess. While we were calmly seated in the aircraft I was thirsty and asked for water, my 2 years old realized that she was equally thirsty and wanted to gulp the same number of glasses like me. She even insisted to keep half gulped glasses of water on the tray table where she was eating her meal (all by herself).

No amount of convincing helps in such cases. What happened next was as expected – wet clothes, wet floor, water in her food, and a wailing baby all over again. Soon after she received a new meal box for herself from the food trolley that air-hostess carries. There was no end to her joy and finally, she was all smiles. Sense prevailed and the glasses of water went to another tray table because my little pumpkin understood that it’s not wise to crowd the same table with everything. Sanity prevailed! As a mommy, I took a deep breathe as that’s what helps me collect myself after an array of such incidents.

In a nutshell, when the child is throwing tantrum try to not get bogged down. It can be quite embarrassing when an otherwise able parent has a child crawling all the way in a public place or throwing a tantrum. But take a deep breathe and laugh it off, it’s all temporary and just a phase. One can easily lose ones’ temper if yo take these little mischievousness seriously. Instead, some of these incidents make for lovely stories that can be shared with kids when they grow up. My parents have many such anecdotes that they share with us when we meet. Today, we laugh at those incidents and it adds up to a lovely time we spend together as a family.

Handling toddler tantrums can be trying for a parent but give it a try and it doesn’t look all that bad! Here are a few tips which you can try with your little one. Firstly, in the case of a difficult situation trying to divert your child’s attention to something absolutely different. Secondly, give them options to choose from. Let them decide out of three options for better behavior. I try this often with my 2-year-old. It is difficult to keep explaining the same thing over and again but it does work. Thirdly, don’t react and let them be on their own. They’ll soon calm down and normalize. Fourthly, step away if your toddler is throwing a tantrum and instead focus on something really interesting. They’ll normalize quickly if they see no audience around.

I’m a mom like everyone else who isn’t calm and capable all the time. I have my parenting highs and lows that I deal with many times. Eventually, I have learnt to laugh it off and not take mischief seriously unless it’s really bothersome and can impact a child’s growth and development. So, cheers mommies and daddies. Make glorious memories with your little munchkins and have a safe roller coaster ride with them.

Do share if these tips are helpful for you in handling toddler tantrums in a public place.

Take care and Be good!

About the author-

Additi is a mom of two toddler girls. She is passionate to write on parenting, toddler-hood and self-help. Parenthood is a beautiful journey. With her toddlers bustling with energy, everyday is fun and distressing at the same time. She strongly believe the way parents demonstrate themselves in front of their child, lays a huge impact on their growth and development. She is thrilled to share her insights and observations along the way with new age parents and parents to be.Additi was associated with a leading media house for a decade as a content curator and conference producer. Currently, freelance content writer and a stay at home mom, juggling both roles gives her immense fulfillment. Her girls keep her engaged all the time with their verve, vigor and vitality.

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