8 Ways to Calm Down a Cranky Kid - Trillium Schoo Markham

1. 8 Ways to Calm Down a Cranky Kid Understanding kids is an art and if you’re a parent it’s a must-have skill. The key to calming down your cranky kid is to stay patient. For first-time parents, it may be a challenging task. But, with some practice and paying close attention to your child’s behaviour, you too can learn the art of managing their mood swings. As a reputed preschool in Markham, Trillium has a dedicated staff who believe in teaching kids with integrity, compassion and tolerance. In this post, we’d like to share some tips that will help you handle your kid when he/she gets cranky. Establish eye contact When your child is upset, the first step towards calming him/her is to make eye contact. This ensures that you have his/her attention. Without it, your child is unlikely to listen to whatever you say. Try to find out what’s wrong

2. A child could be angry, tired, hurt or frustrated for many reasons. As a parent, you need to find out what’s bothering him/her to reach the root cause. By establishing yourself as the person who solves problems, in the eyes of your child, you’ll always be someone who they can turn to when he/she has an issue. This sort of reliability is something that will continue well into their teenager years and beyond. Express yourself in ways other than speech Most toddlers don’t develop the ability to talk until a later age, so you’ll need to learn to express yourself through hand movements and facial expressions. You can also use phrases to acknowledge his/her feelings which will help relieve the frustration of not being understood. Speak deliberately and concisely Children tend to get caught up in their own feelings and thoughts, making them emotionally and physically less capable of listening to reason. That means you should try and save detailed discussions for a different time. When an outburst happens, try to convey your message with as few words as possible. This comes in handy if your child is below 2 years of age. Utilize a feelings chart A feelings chart has different types of emotions drawn on it with easy to identify accompanying illustrations. Bring the chart in front of your kid when he/she is upset. Use this tool to teach your child that he/she can communicate frustration without having to throw a temper tantrum by pointing to how he/she is feeling on the chart. Acknowledge good behaviour You should always recognize your child’s good behaviour and reward him/her with his/her favourite treat or extended playtime. This will motivate him/her to behave properly and be less cranky. Leave him or her alone for a while As you reward your child’s good behaviour, you should also punish bad behaviour by leaving him/her alone if an outburst occurs. When a child is left alone he/she will be aware that such behaviour is not appropriate. Control your mood Children are highly affected by their parents’ mood swings. For instance, if you’re noticeably unhappy, your kid will be cranky and will wonder what’s wrong with you. So, even if you’re worried or upset, be careful about letting it show as your child may not understand the reason why.

3. Parenthood is a blessing, but with rough patches. By following the above-listed tips, you can help calm your child when he/she is upset and enjoy every moment of parenthood. In case you are looking for a comprehensive toddler program for your child, we can help you as a reputed preschool in Markham.