Holidaying with your toddler can be fun, but it can also be tiring. Any situation involving new schedules, or waiting in a long queue for a ride can be a recipe for tantrums and meltdowns. Toddlers and kids between the ages 1-4 have a tendency to lose control when they don’t get what they want, especially when they’re tired.
Only parents who have gone through a holiday with a toddler will understand the situation. Handling tantrums during holidays is inevitable. Some toddlers even lose it to the point of rolling on the floor, stomping and screaming.
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In this article, I’ll share five important tips to survive toddler tantrums and meltdowns during holidays and show you how to overcome the situation without losing your cool and ruining your time away.
No One Knows Your Child Better Than You
Do your kids have a specific schedule that needs to be followed daily? Does that include nap and mealtimes? If the answer is yes, plan your schedule in advance. Don’t plan a bus tour that requires you to stop at different attractions every half an hour. Plan an easy trip, where your toddler can enjoy his/her nap time in their buggy without disturbance. Don’t expect your toddler to spend two hours in a museum then visit a castle without eating proper meals and having a nap. That’s just a recipe for disaster.
Take Your Toddler’s Essentials With You
The three main reasons for meltdown are hunger, tiredness and boredom. Bring some healthy snacks, water or juices and small toys for your kids. Play and interact with them when they eat, to keep them entertained. If they need to take a nap, put them in the buggy and let them sleep for few hours. This will help keep the tantrums at bay. And while he/she’s sleeping, you can visit places that might not be of interest to your kids – you know, like shopping!
Give Them a Hug
Sometimes the best solution is just a simple and warm, loving hug to melt away the blues of both your toddler and you. When nothing else works, hug and console your little one, and tell them everything is going to be okay. Don’t give in to the monstrous meltdown; instead offer your toddler a comforting hug, in the hope they’ll cool down and tell you what’s really bothering them.
Mum, Please Stay Cool!
If your kid gets upset on the bus or on a plane, just keep your cool and ignore the tsk tsks around you. Most people have gone through the same experience and understand what it’s like. Don’t feel like you’re doing a bad job as a parent. If you’re receiving a dirty look from someone, do not take offense; it’s not you, it’s just their attitude.
Don’t Reward Your Kids When They Act Up.
If your kid’s starting to scream when he sees a Toy Story character at the gift shop at Disneyland, don’t buy it for him for the sake of keeping him quiet. He’ll learn that every time he screams, he’ll get want he wants. Parents often do this in hope that the toddler will stay calm. But wait until he sees another thing he wants – he’ll scream again.
Rewarding bad behaviour will not teach kids anything besides being selfish and inconsiderate.
As a parent, it’s important to understand what can cause the tantrums and meltdowns and know how to handle the situation. You want the holiday to be great and easy-going as planned, but some days kids are just kids. Keep your expectations realistic and understand that your toddler will throw tantrums because that’s what they do. However, this shouldn’t be a reason not to travel with kids.
Hopefully, this article will shed some light on what to do and how to cope when your toddler’s tantrums and meltdowns during holidays!
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