Search Results for: blog tantrums screams and crying oh my

Your Young Toddler and Temper Tantrums

Oh the joys of raising a young toddler who has recently discovered her desire for independence. She answers every question with a firm, “no.” She purposely gets into things she knows she should not get into (and occasionally you may even hear her telling herself “no” before she does it). She gets mad at her toys, at you, and at nothing. She expresses her anger by flailing herself to the floor, sometimes hurting herself in the process, and often causing a scene. She’ll try to bite, scratch, kick and hit, which is bewildering to the mother who wonders where she … Continue reading →

Preventing Tantrums

Every mother’s worst nightmare is having a cart full of groceries and all of a sudden her toddler throws the worst tantrum in the history of temper tantrums. Of course, when you feel like everyone is staring at you, every tantrum is the worst isn’t it? Usually there is nothing you can do short of taking your child out of the situation, away from irritated bystanders, who are an audience for your toddler. There is no magic way to stop tantrums, but what you can do is try to prevent them. It’s always easier to prevent a tantrum than to … Continue reading →

Loud Babies

I have definitely experienced the humiliation of a public meltdown courtesy of my dear toddler. We were at the fair and he had a monumental fit when we left. I had to push him in the stroller through a crowded parking lot and down a busy street while he shrieked like he was being eaten alive. I didn’t have any options but to continue pushing him to the car. Sometimes babies are loud for other reasons, however. Even the happiest babies can make a commotion in public. What is a parent to do? Your first instinct might be to simply … Continue reading →

Vocal Power

So… my son has figured out that he has a secret power over his parents and that power is the ability to produce a LOUD VOLUME in quiet places. He now happily talks to himself or his shadow as he plays with his toys or tries to fit something that had been discarded onto the floor into his mouth (his recent favorite is unused tissue paper). This babbling has broken into a new found vocal power that he unleashed at us while we were at church this past Sunday (while out of town). Luckily my son is cute. This stops … Continue reading →

Tips for Taking that Perfect Photo: Lighting

Now that you know when to take your baby’s portrait, you need to decide where you’re going to get your best results in terms of lighting. I’m going to assume you don’t have studio lights or an external flash, since these things will give you a lot more control over the lighting of the photograph, but are not necessarily required. If you are just an amateur like I am, you’ll need to be a little more picky about where you place your baby. Typically, you’re not going to get terrific results from the flash of a point-and-shoot digital camera. If … Continue reading →

Squealing & Shrieking

The other day, I was walking through a department store and there was an incredible shrieking sound—a child of course, the typical age of about three years old, squealing and shrieking and decidedly NOT using an ‘inside voice.’ Of course the parent was trying to quiet and control the shrieking child but it reminded me that for many families just as biting and asking “why?” and talking back are phases of development—having a child who is a squealer and a shrieker is a challenge too. Some children are loud and some are amazingly and shockingly loud in their squeaks and … Continue reading →

How Much Crying Can You Handle?

All parents are not created equal when it comes to our crying capacity—whether it is the woeful wails of a new baby, or the screams of a frustrated toddler, or even the moody crying of an adolescent—some of us can tolerate it far better than others. How much crying can you handle? And has your ability to tolerate crying from your child actually increased or decreased over the years? I can handle a fair amount of crying from my children—although it has diminished quite a bit now that they are older. What I have noticed, however, is that my ability … Continue reading →

Talk Softly…And They Might Listen

For some reason, we parents have a tendency to think that if we just talk louder or get “more up in their face” our kids might actually hear us and respond. I have found just the opposite to be true. If I can stay calm and talk softly and surely, my kids are much more likely to listen and stay open and receptive than if I rant and yell and get forceful with them. Many years ago, my sister-in-law shared with me that she had discovered that instead of nagging, if she quietly asked her kids to do something, and … Continue reading →

Do You Justify Your Toddler’s Behavior Because of Their Age?

I admit it: my twins throw temper tantrums in public. Few parents I think escape the embarrassment of public temper tantrums. I actually don’t mind them that much. I try to look at it as an opportunity to show my girls that I love them, but that I am mom and what I say goes. It’s an important lesson that all children must learn. It is not a democracy but a monarchy. Soon my twins will learn what their older siblings figured out long ago: it is not my way or the high way. . .it is my way. Sometimes … Continue reading →

Ask a Baby Blogger: Why My Toddlers Aren’t Allowed to Talk Back

Question: I’ve heard you say a few times that you don’t allow your toddlers to talk back to you. At first, I thought you meant preschoolers but in one of your posts you even make mention of insisting that your 14 month old doesn’t say ‘no’ to you. How exactly do you accomplish this? I don’t mean to offend you, but you sound horribly strict. I am going to have to answer this in two parts. First, I’ll give you the ‘why’ of dealing with toddlers and then in another blog I’ll explain how exactly we gain their cooperation. Yes, … Continue reading →