How To Reduce Tantrums

Behaviour Analysts recommend that parents implementing a good routine & sticking to it as much as possible can be a big help when it comes to child behaviour. Like adults, children too are creatures of habit & find comfort in knowing what their day holds for them & what is expected of them.

As adults, we generally have a set routine that we go through our week doing & there tends to be very little variation from this routine from week to week. We go through the motions of our day a large percentage of the time on auto-pilot, as we have done the same tasks in the same order so many times that it doesn’t take a great deal of thought in comparison to the first time we done it.

In terms of parenting, Behaviour Therapists highlight that when something is incorporated into a child’s routine & has become a solid part of their daily or weekly routine, it makes it a lot easier to get them to do it. Studies in the field of Behaviour Analysis shows that this is because they are aware in advance of when it is happening & they take it for granted that that is the way things are. This makes them less likely to protest or have tantrums about it & it means you don’t have to waste time managing anger – One task just follows on naturally from the task/activity before it & goes a lot more smoothly.

Also, Child Therapists point out, that if a child does not have a good, consistent routine, this often leads to gaps in between tasks where the child gets bored, & turns to negative attention-seeking behaviours in order to get the parents attention & fill that time. However, if one task follows seamlessly into the next task, this keeps everything on track.

So for example, if a child doesn’t have any set routine as such on a day to day basis, getting them to do activities that they aren’t keen on or don’t feel like doing can lead to behaviour challenges, such as changing out of their uniform, getting their homework done, etc. & they also feel like there is more leeway on when they can do it when there is no specific time allocated for it.

However, if a child has a set daily/weekly routine, for example, come home, change out of uniform, snack, homework, & then play, & if this routine is stuck to consistently then the child is a lot less likely to refuse to do it/debate doing it & it makes it a lot easier overall for all involved.