2. Hot Parenting Topics
  3. My Child...
  4. Temper Tantrums

My child throws temper tantrums

Get parenting solutions that work, with Triple P Online!

Toddler tantrums and childhood meltdowns

Screams, tears, slamming doors, thrashing on the floor of the supermarket, or clinging to the slide when it's time the leave the park…toddler tantrums, temper tantrums, hissy fits and childhood meltdowns can be unexpected and happen for many different reasons. At home, a tantrum can be upsetting; in public, embarrassing. So if you're wondering how to deal with toddler tantrums or how to stop temper tantrums, first it helps to understand more about what they are and why they occur.

What is a tantrum?

Tantrums, meltdowns or hissy fits can be over almost as quickly as they start. Some are as brief as 20 seconds while an extreme tantrum could go on for hours.

When your child throws a temper tantrum it may include:

  • Screaming and yelling
  • Crying or holding their breath
  • Hitting themselves or others
  • Rolling on the floor
  • Stamping their feet

Why do kids throw tantrums?

Children throw tantrums for many reasons... but a tantrum is your chance to help your child learn to manage their own frustration and anger, and calm themselves down. When you learn how to stop your child's tantrums, you are giving them very important skills and setting them up to deal with life's challenges.

When your toddler or child is throwing a tantrum it could be a sign they are:

  • Frustrated or confused
  • Scared or overwhelmed
  • Tired or bored
  • Hungry or thirsty

…or maybe all these things at once!

Read more on this hot topic: How to handle tantrums: try these positive parenting tips

It's not easy to know how to handle tantrums

If you're dealing with screams, tears and stamping feet far too often, you may feel like nothing's working. And you want to get temper tantrums under control while your child is young (instead of when they are older, bigger, stronger and louder) for a calmer, more enjoyable family life!

4 million+ parents
have been helped to manage tantrums...
and much more!

You can achieve your parenting goals with the Triple P’s toolkit of parenting solutions and strategies. The Triple P – Positive Parenting Program® is the world’s most widely researched parenting programme with 35+ years of scientific testing and re-testing, and hundreds of clinical trials and real-world studies that prove it works for most families. It's used around the world and can work for you too — and it's available online!

Find out more about Triple P

Why is Triple P's positive parenting programme so different? Because it gives you proven strategies to help you set up your child to be their best — to be happy, confident and successful. In the meantime, your home life will be better too: rules followed, relationships stronger and parents who are much less stressed! Like to know more about Triple P and how positive parenting can make all that happen for you? It's right here…

Take me there! >