Tame your kid’s temper

Ignore the kid: During a tantrum, a child is literally out of his mind. His emotions take over, overriding the frontal cortex of the brain, the area that makes decisions. That’s why reasoning doesn’t help as that part of his brain isn’t working. There’s nothing to do in the moment that will make things better. Once he chills out, then you can talk. 

Give some space to the child: Sometimes a kid just needs to get his anger out. So let him. It helps children learn how to vent in a non-destructive way. They’re able to get their feelings out, pull themselves together, and regain self-control — without engaging in a yelling match or battle of wills with you. This trick can work on its own or in tandem with the whole ignoring bit. 

Create a diversion: Getting your kid engaged and interested in something else so she forgets about the meltdown she was just having. Keep all sorts of distractions handy like toys, books, and yummy snacks. Distraction can help ward off a major meltdown before it happens, if you catch it in time. 

Find the cause of tantrums: This trick is more for tantrums among the under2-and-a-half-year-olds. Children this age usually have a vocabulary of only about 50 words and can’t link more than two together at a time. Their communication is limited, yet they have all these thoughts and wishes and needs to be met. When you don’t get the message or misunderstand, they freak out to release their frustration. One solution is teaching sign language. Teaching your child how to sign a few key words - such as more, food, milk, and tired -- can work wonders.