DEAR DEIDRE: WHEN our three-year-old has a meltdown, I struggle to remain calm.
I’m a stay-at-home dad and 29. My wife is 30 and has a brilliant job, so we decided that I should be our daughter’s main carer.
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I try to be patient when she has a tantrum. It usually works but she is our only child and very determined.
She tends to think that whatever she wants is the only thing that can happen.
On Christmas morning our daughter had a massive meltdown because she did not want to stop playing with her new toys and have lunch. This was in front of my wife’s family.
My parents-in-law have now told my wife that I am letting our daughter get away with too much and it is not good for her.
DEIDRE SAYS: Ignore their comments – it’s all too easy for bystanders to be judgmental and I bet it was harder for you to handle the tantrum just because you had an audience.
Little children feel blown away by their anger, so it’s important for we adults to see it for what it is – a storm in a teacup.
Stay calm and keep breathing steadily yourself.
Let the storm blow itself out rather than trying to put a stop to it.
Your daughter will recover quickly when she sees it’s not bothering you. My e-leaflet Stressed With The Kids? will help.
