Parent Lab

Your toddler's brain is changing and growing every day, and unfortunately, tantrums are a developmentally appropriate side effect. Sigh. Your child's brain is growing and forging new neural pathways that help it learn how to respond to all kinds of different situations, and those tantrums? Well, they're part and parcel of the process. But you can model behaviors and responses to your kiddo that will help their brains develop positive habits.

Communicating might be as natural and effortless as breathing for you, but for your toddler, it's a whole different ballgame. Their brains are busy processing all the sensory input they get — from hearing to taste to touch — and trying to find the words to communicate their experiences. It's no wonder that when they struggle to express themselves, tantrums become the language of choice; it's the most effective language they have.

You might feel singled out and frustrated if your child only throws tantrums with you, but it's not a bad thing. In fact, it's a sign that your child feels safe to let it all out when they're with you, which is a sign of secure attachment. The positives don't completely rule out that it's not much fun of, course, so listen for some tips for creating strong boundaries to go with that secure attachment.

Your child’s brain receives sensory input pretty much nonstop, but it can only synthesize so much information at a time. And once their brain gets overloaded, tantrums are a frequent outcome. But when you learn about what kinds of stimulation winds them up — as well as what calms them down — you can start to anticipate tantrums before they happen.

Steady yourself with this anchor meditation.

Use this Navy SEAL-approved breathing technique to calm frazzled nerves.

Boost your tantrum-tackling confidence with a simple self-reflection exercise. You might just find that you're doing better than you think.

Three experts walk into a bar — a child psychologist, occupational therapist, and neuroscientist. Just kidding! Actually, they’re walking into our new show called “Ask the Experts,” where they talk about how one particular mom can handle her child’s excessive screen time.

Three experts walk into a bar — a child psychologist, occupational therapist, and neuroscientist. Just kidding! Actually, they’re walking into our new show called “Ask the Experts,” where they talk about how one particular mom can handle her child’s excessive screen time.

Is school stressing you out? Learn to focus on skills that contribute to success, not only in school, but in life in general, starting with empathy.