Your Child Melts Down On Public.

The Survival Guide

Genuine human emotions, reaction and body language. angry spoiled little girl with red hair sticking out tongue, pretending not to hear you, plugging ears, screaming, being mad and naughty

When this happens, it seems, there could be no worthier moment and place for it! You just want to disappear or to pretend you see this little monster for the first time in your life. The truth is that: children cry when they are hungry, sleepy, or upset. We wish they could calmly say about their needs and troubles. And they definitely will, in the future. But till that time parents have to deal with the meltdowns in public.

Keep in mind the following points. Next time they will help you to deal with the critical situation.

It’s essential to realize that it happens to every parent. And if your kid melts down it doesn’t mean you are a bad parent. Discuss your unpleasant experience with your friends, laugh about it and make sure you are not alone.

The main reason why you feel so uncomfortable and ashamed is the thought of being judged**.** No doubt, there are rude people and there are those who stare and make faces. But most people don’t really care. The visitors of the supermarket are usually busy with their shopping. Even if their eyes and ears catch you screaming breakdancer on the floor, in a moment they will turn to their doings.

Remember that you are in charge and only you know what works best for your kid. There may be a million reasons for misbehaving in public. Your child may be tired, overexcited, sad, hungry, disappointed, or scary! And the only person who can guess the reason is you. Stay focused on your child and his or her needs. Whatever is the reason your child takes precedence over the onlookers.

Once you’ve had the children’s tantrum experience you can analyze it and try to prevent it next time. Be prepared, think ahead, and try to avoid things that make your kid sick and sets him off.

Here are some ways to prevent anger and misbehaving:

Distract your child with small games or sensory toys. They will keep his hands and mind busy.
Make a fun experience out of the duty: not just shopping but a detective search, not just waiting in a long queue but counting everything around you, etc
Change the scenery: remove both you and your child from the annoying area.

Control your reaction. Try to distinguish between manipulative tantrums and meltdowns. If you are sure that your kid makes a conscious action and pushes the limits to get what he needs, this is a manipulative tantrum. In this case, no negotiations are needed. The best way out is to remove yourself from the situation.

Neither overreacting nor ignoring is a wise choice to deal with a meltdown. In this situation, your child can not control himself and needs you to help him calm down.

It’s never easy to deal with public meltdowns and tantrums. No matter how long you are a parent it may happen to everyone. Stay focused on your child, keep calm and carry on.