Children are all fun and games until they discover how to throw tantrums. The worst kind comes from the smallest humans, adorable toddlers. Although, there are times when they are not so cute, and maybe a little terrifying. One mother seems to have found the trick in dealing with her toddler in the midst of a meltdown. Some mothers melt down with their kids, but this one uses the art of distraction.
Tantrums on tantrums
The modern world is truly an amazing place; what a time to be alive. This era is often called the information era because we can access any form of knowledge with a click and a swipe of our fingers. The internet is amazing, yes, but this often causes a lot of confusion on what is right. Generally, the rule of thumb is you still need to do what feels right for you – we are all different, after all.
One mother by the name of Cromartie is raising her 18-month-old toddler with some pretty unique techniques. She posted a video on her Instagram page showing her daughter, Icey, in the middle of a full-blown terrible-twos tantrum. This part of parenting is tough because so many so-called experts in the field tell you to deal with the screaming mini-you differently. So, without anything better than knowing her child better than any textbook, she started running.
The art of distraction
Cromartie ran in circles inside her apartment. At first, Icey tried to follow her mom but could not do so with her little legs. She continued crying and screaming for her mom’s first two laps around the apartment, but, the trick was, Cromartie did not give her any attention. She just kept running. Icey quickly stopped crying and stood for a moment, waiting for her mom to return around the corner. Sure enough, her mom came running. Icey’s face broke into a smile, and she started giggling; the art of distraction was working.
Toddlers have big emotions for such tiny bodies. They have not yet learned how to process anger and frustration, so they throw a tantrum. Gentle parenting asks the parent to facilitate a safe environment for their child to express their emotions while teaching them appropriate methods. For 18-month-old toddlers, the trick is to calm them down from explosion level.
Tantrum trick works!
Cromartie’s trick for her daughter’s tantrums is great because it not only stops her from crying, but it gets her laughing again. The best time to teach a child how to deal with their emotions is when they are in a good mood. Calm, and collected. When Cromartie posted her trick on social media, it went viral. She captioned it: “POV: This is how you gentle parent when your toddler is on the verge of a meltdown … zoomies!”
Hundreds of mothers were putting it to the test, and coming back with raving reviews. Although, some were skeptical at first. “They’re like, ‘it works!‘” said Cromartie. “I think people are surprised. But it really does work.”
“This is helpful for when they are older because they just think to themself that they need to take a run to relax instead of having the meltdown,” one person commented on TikTok. Another wrote on Instagram: “Distract distract distract that’s the secret. Find something to distract them.”
Another person commented how the tantrum trick worked for their teenage child as well. They said: “Works with teens too, honestly, I just run away and say “not today” and run back and give a hug. Be silly, and show them how to manage their emotions instead of feeding into them, it’s hard but teaching them to de-escalate their emotions is 💯 worth it.”
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Sources
- “Mom’s simple trick for defusing her toddler’s tantrum is going viral because it works.” Today Parents. December 8, 2022. Rachel Paula Abrahamson.
- “Mum defuses toddler’s tantrum with THIS simple trick.” Times of India. Decemeber 12, 2022.