Beneath the Iceberg: Mapping Out Tantrums
Tantrums: Triggers and Origins Inexplicable as they might appear to the adult, tantrums, meltdowns and emotional outbreaks do have a real trigger for the toddler experiencing them. The trigger can be anything from trivial and imperceptible, such as a schedule re-arrangement, a physical inconvenience, to a life-disrupting event for the child, such as bereavement over the loss of a pet, a major life/family change, expatriation. Tantrums are often the only reaction at the hands of the children to express their developmental needs or innermost desires to their caregivers. Developing children need space, time and compassionate guidance in order to perform everyday tasks on their own. Children’s perception of time is far different from the adults’ pressure for time management and commonly, this incongruity, becomes a source of routine conflicts or triggers tantrums. Put in practical terms, anticipating a toddler to tie their shoelaces might feel like...