Helpful hacks

How to deal with kids’ temper tantrums

By Cara Johnson-Bader

Why is it always in the middle of has plenty of sleep, has been fed, and you are a grocery store that your child both ready for the adventure before you. decides to enter a power struggle 1. Set expectations with your child –with you? All because he wants Make sure you and your child are on the birthday cake when it is not his birthday, or a same page, such as, “We are going to the candy bar, or a LEGO set, or _________ grocery store to get food for our family. (fill in what triggers your little one to meltdown When we get home we can snuggle in our at a store)! fort and read stories with a flashlight.”

As a parent, these moments are stressful and This will help your child have something to embarrassing, and often tricky to navigate. look forward to, as quality time with you is Please know that you are not alone. In a recent Cara Johnson-Bader always a preferred event. study, families shared that managing their child when she 2. Manage your emotions – How you react during a misbehaves is one of their top struggles as a parent. While temper tantrum can either calm the situation or worsen I wish I had and could share a magic wand that magically it. Research tells us that when parents react harshly, makes all temper tantrums end, I do have a few tips to help children become more upset, hurt, and scared. It is you navigate and defuse these tricky moments. more difficult for them to calm down. Your reaction

Check your expectations – Make sure your expectation sets the tone for how your child will respond during a for your child is realistic. Bringing an overtired two-year-old temper tantrum. to the grocery store will most likely result in a meltdown or 3. Talk about feelings – Recognizing and naming two. Before heading out for errands, ensure your little one feelings is a wonderful way to help your child begin managing his feelings in a well-balanced manner. Talk about feelings daily. As an example, say things like, “I see that you are feeling sad right now. How about a hug?” 4. Be a detective – Understanding why your child had a temper tantrum will help you figure out how to respond. Misbehavior is a child’s way of communicating and reaching out to you. You have a lot of practice in decoding your own feelings and have learned how to manage them, but your child is still learning how to deal with her feelings. Try taking a step back for a minute to see the situation from your child’s point of view. It is easier to respond to a temper tantrum in a calm and supportive manner when you understand what caused the reaction. Ask yourself what triggered the temper tantrum. Is your little one overtired, hungry, overstimulated? There may be simple things you can do help your child get her needs met. 5. Think of a temper tantrum as an opportunity –to listen to, care for, teach, and coach your child. You will find it easier to navigate a meltdown. Also, you will reinforce positive behavior patterns, enhance your communication with your child, and experience fewer meltdowns at the grocery store.

Cara Johnson-Bader is the Vice President of Marketing and Parent Experiences at New Horizon Academy and mother of two young boys. Learn more about New Horizon Academy at newhorizonacademy.net.

GO KART RACING — Continued from Page 3 and what they are doing.

“And they are doing something they like. The neatest part about racing is that unlike many sports, you don’t wait to be called off the bench by the coach. You just do it. In a lot of ways, you are competing with yourself to make the next lap faster or to find a way to [mechanically] make the kart faster. You’re in control.”

For 11-year-old Charley Ford, racing is at the top of a very crowded list of interests that includes basketball, track, volleyball and dance.

“I’m doing hip-hop now, but am going to start ballet soon,” she explains to me as she and her dad prepped her pink and teal kart for pre-race qualifying this spring.

Yet for all of the activities in which she is engaged, it is her racing that sets her apart from her friends.

“They really don’t know or understand what I do,” she says. “But most of them think it’s pretty cool.”

She also talked a bit about any fears or concerns she had about racing.

“It’s a little scary when people are close to you [on the track],” she admits. “I also worry about where other karts are on the track. But I’m not really afraid.”

This summer also will mark the debut of 7-year-old Cam Ford into the world of racing.

“He has watched his sister race and now it’s his turn,” said his mother, Jamie. “He’s very excited about racing. I really think that what he and Charley are doing is pretty cool and I look forward to seeing them both race.”

As for first-grader Cam, he sums up his entry into motorsports by simply saying that the best part of kart racing is “everything.”

If there is any question about whether or not go kart racing is a family sport, it was perhaps answered by Charley when asked who were her heroes. Her answer was simple and unequivocal.

“My dad, because of all he does.”

For more information about the raceway where the Ford family enjoys kart racing, go to www.snakeriverkarters.com.

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