Wouldn’t it be nice if we could bring an end to tantrums? Experts at Yale believe they may have come up with a program that can do just that. Tantrums are a normal part of childhood and raising children, but that doesn’t make them any easier to handle when you just want your child to stop screaming. There are experts all over the US working on tantrums and child development/behavior because tantrums, at their very core, are neurological. Tantrums involve the amygdala (emotion processor) and the hypothalamus (involuntary reactions) and they are a breakdown of both of these.
According to HuffPost, a team of researchers with Yale University have released their findings from a pilot study they have done on a virtual program that was proven to limit disruptive behaviors and reduce the overall irritability in young children.
The Yale News website stated that the team had no idea how important virtual tools were going to become to the public, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The researchers involved 15 families whose children ranged in age from 3 to 9. These children in the study were all diagnosed with either oppositional defiance disorder or disruptive mood dysregulation disorder. Twelve of the families completed the program. The online program is made up of 8 modules with video animations, and they contain strategies that parents can use to recognize and manage a tantrum.
The experts stated that their model is based on “parent management training” which has been around for decades, but it is not so easily accessed by parents. Parents have been going to their pediatrician for assistance, but this program would be a lot easier to access and would be more inclusive to all parents.
Denis Sukhodolsky is one of the experts behind the program, and he said that it is important to recognize what is a “normal” tantrum. He said that if a tantrum is lasting longer than 5, 10, 15 minutes, there may be something else going on.
The program has shown great success with the families, but it is not available for just anyone. The hope is that all families can access this program; but in the meantime, they had some free advice to offer for parents.
They stated that the best thing a parent can do when a tantrum is happening is remain calm. Parents want to model the appropriate stress management behavior for their children.
Another piece of advice that is often overlooked is praise. When a child is behaving well, praise them, and let them know that they are doing the right thing. This means a lot to a child.