What do you do with a 17 month old who has started throwing tantrums the second he doesn't get his way?

Question

I am just the nanny not the mom but it is getting really frustrating! Is he too young to understand time out? I try not to give him what he wants while he is screaming and crying but sometimes he just won't stop!

Answer 1

A nanny I know with 20 years of experience and an associates in child development said use calm assertive leadership. Do not give in to the tantrums. Only engage them when they are pleasant. Only reward good behavior. Set boundaries. Be consistent. And never give up in discipline. It does not happen fast with children. But take heart that you are doing the right thing that will set the behavior for the rest of his life.

Answer 2

Ignore the behaviour you don't want & REALLY praise the behaviour you do want.

Answer 3

ignore him, carry on with what you are doing.

any attention be it good or bad, is still attention. once he realises you are ignoring him, he should come out of it.

reward his good behaviour, teach him that when he is good, he gets nice things such as you reading to him, playing with him etc.

Nichola x*x

Answer 4

Just be firm and consistent.  He'll learn eventually that you mean business.

No, he's not too young for time-out, t hough you may have to repeatedly make him sit down, until he understands the concept and won't move.

After sitting still for awhile, they'll calm down.

Answer 5

time out and NO ATTENTION. otherwise he is going to think he is getting his way.  just be firm tell him what he is doing wrong..sit himin time out and walk away...if he gets up..dont say anything just pick him up and put him back in his chair. i would buy a small chair and use that for a time out chiar only..h**l get the idea.good luck

Answer 6

get a nice big cusion and put it away from everything, this is where the tantrums go, put him there and ignore him. Explain that he is doing the wrong thing and can play when he behaves. Only say this once then everytime he moves put him back without talking, ignore the behaviour. Ensure he is told after that he is not naughty, what he is doing is naughty. Lots of praise when he behaves.

Answer 7

Mine would hold his breath so I'd sit him on the floor and walk out of the room (peaking on him) until he was quiet again.  He's now 3 and doesn't have tantrums so I think that little bit of putting him in a safe place and ignoring him helped.  After a while, my son realized I wouldn't come back until he was quiet then there was no punishment for his behavior, we would go back to normal.  I think kids this age have a hard time controlling their emotions and punishment doesn't help as much as them learning to control it themselves.

Answer 8

You know positive reinforcement sound like what this child needs,  

First off as soon as you see the tantrum coming say we like to have fun. Lets go do ______ pick something the child would want to do like color or paint or go outside be firm and direct removing a child from the situation is best.  What ever you do don't go back and give him what he wants.  

The other thing is be consistant if you let him run around and then tell him no not now he wound not understand because if you let him do it even once why can't he do it now.  So either he can always do it or never do it be firm on this keep things black and white at this point because if there is too much gray he would not understand why and you can't expect him too.  If you let him play with trains and then tell him no it is a punishment, even if your just trying to go to something else at this age they are attached to things and when you let them play with somethings sometimes they are always afraid you will take it away, which causes tantrums.

Have a set schedule, set rules NO Toys at the table ever never not once it will only cause problems, Painting and coloring only at the table and have a timer that goes off that indicates painting time is over it makes clean up much easier.

Take toys away if the child throws them hits with them or has a tantrum because of sharing issues only.