Taming the Tantrums

March 12 Bulletin (Focus on the Family)

When my oldest son, Grant, was a toddler, he got frustrated easily and threw screaming tantrums. I tried speaking to him, holding him, and even picking him up and taking him to his room. But these tactics only seemed to make him angrier-and made me the audience for his "show."

One day when he began to scream, I decided to exit the show. Without saying a word, I walked into my bedroom, sat down on my bed and began to read a magazine. Within minutes he came to me, still crying but more in control.

"You left me!" he said, whimpering.

"Screaming hurts Mommy's ears," I calmly replied. "I won't listen to it. If you need help, you must use your words." The next time Grant saw me exiting the room, he stopped screaming and asked me to stay. - Katrina Arbuckle

Have you ever tried this technique or found something else that works well with your toddler's tantrums?  It reminds me of this Funniest Home Videos' clip...