mestern

I am a mother of four, and my youngest is now 3 and is 5 years younger than my next oldest kid. It has been so fascinating how much easier almost everything has been the fourth time around, not because my 4th kid is any less stubborn or difficult or tantrum-prone than all of my other kids were, but because I just worry and focus and tune in less to all of the problems that I know will basically resolve themselves if I manage not to lose my cool or pay them too much attention.

I know it’s not easy, but try not to overthink it or to worry too much when your 2-year-old is having a tantrum. That’s just a thing they do when they can’t deal! It’s hard to be 2! 🙂

I personally think that sticking to a plan / having a consistent response to a tantrum can feel very difficult because situations and moods and other factors vary so much.

Try to stay cool. Try to stay positive. Maybe distract yourself by getting busy with something else to see if that shifts the energy. A little benign neglect can be a lot better than a response that devotes a lot of energy / attention to a difficult behavior. Try to find the humor in it and to stay good humored. In my experience there is basically no point in “disciplining” a 2-year-old. Just model kind, calm, rational behavior as much as you can manage to, and let the stress of and thoughts about the tantrum go the moment it’s over.

Unless you have bigger issues at play (which certainly happens but is probably not the case), trust that your kid will outgrow this and try to be easy on yourself.