Child Development & Guidance
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From Tears to Cheers – Mastering the Art of Tantrum-Taming in a Joyful Classroom
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From Tears to Cheers – Mastering the Art of Tantrum-Taming in a Joyful Classroom
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Sometimes when a child is having a difficult time calming down or needing a “reset”, I will sit near them and ask them to blow out the “candles”. The candles are either 5 or 10 of my fingers, once they “blow” it out I put down a finger until they are all “blown” out. The child gets distracted for a moment and puts their focus on something else. I have used this in my Pre-K class (4-5year olds) and they love it! I have has many calm down before their behavior escalated to the point of being unsafe for themselves, me or the other classmates. The great part is that you don’t need any extra materials and they go with you wherever you go!! You can even have the child use their own hands.
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Sarah, your “blowing out the candles” technique is fantastic for calming down children. It’s a simple, portable method that effectively redirects their focus. Great job!
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When a child is having a tantrum, the first thing I do is acknowledge the feeling. If they are too young to do it themselves, I try to affirm that I see they are feeling what they are. Following this, I help them to identify a strategy to help them calm down by giving them healthy options to practice coping.
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I think one of my favorite ways to help a child who is having a tantrum is to redirect rather than punish them. Children has big feelings, it is natural, but sometimes when a child is in the middle of those feelings it can be hard for them to navigate. I think if a child is struggling in a certain situation that helping to redirect them to a more positive interaction is important, whether that is taking deeps breaths with them, welcoming them into the quiet area for space, or even offering the child a stress ball or fidget toy to help redirect their mind from that tantrum and bring their focus to something more calming.
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Rachel’s approach to redirecting rather than punishing during tantrums is effective in helping children navigate big feelings and create a more positive interaction.
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I like to redirect their energy to something more soothing
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Angel, redirecting energy is a great strategy. You can consider using calming activities like deep breathing or mindfulness exercises to help regulate emotions.
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When the kid is throwing tantrums i will keep myself calm and immediately try to redirect the child to his favorite things to do like giving them quiet book or taking them to feelings area where the child can show the feelings card how they feel.talk to them in calming voice to find out more and redirect them towards their emotions.
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Amutha, your approach of staying calm, redirecting to calming activities, and acknowledging feelings is effective in turning tantrums into teachable moments. Well done!
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Amutha, your approach of staying calm, redirecting to favorite activities, and using feelings cards is excellent for turning tantrums into teachable moments. Keep up the great work!
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What has worked in the past is keeping the child safe while they work through their emotions. Sometimes giving them an area to allow for free movement. Talking to them in a direct soft voice helping and giving them the words to describe how they feel.
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Mary, your approach of providing a safe space for the child to express emotions and offering support with words is effective and nurturing.
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For me, turning tantrums into teachable moments means staying calm and letting the child know I understand how they feel. I might say, “I see you’re upset,” and then help them calm down, like by taking deep breaths or sitting quietly. This teaches kids how to manage their feelings.
To keep the classroom happy and calm, I stick to a clear routine and keep the room tidy with soft colors. I also make sure there’s a quiet space for kids to take a break if needed.
I’m excited to hear more from the trainer about how to handle tough moments and keep the classroom peaceful. I always like learning new ideas!
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Angela, your approach of staying calm, acknowledging the child’s feelings, and providing a quiet space aligns with effective tantrum-taming strategies. Creating a tidy, peaceful environment promotes emotional regulation. Well done!
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I provide a calm down corner so the child can regroup. I stay calm myself and avoid confrontations with the child. I have pillow, blankets, and fidget toys in my calm down corner.
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Mindy, your approach to creating a calm down corner is thoughtful and supportive. It’s great that you prioritize staying calm and providing comforting tools for the child.
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When a child is throwing a tantrum in our class, one of the strategies we use, is providing them a quiet space we call our calming corner. There the children have some time to reflect and express how they’re feeling by talking, drawing, using sensory toys such as feelings bottles, and mazes to finger trace. Along with fidget toys and books they can read alone or can be read too. It has a rug , a bean bag and a floor desk for their comfort. Another strategy is what we call a ” walk and talk”. Our school is an indoor – outdoor school on a nature campus. Sometimes taking a walk and talking with the children in the fresh air helps them relax and prepare to rejoin the group.
Some tips and tricks we have for our classroom, is stay consistent, be organized and have a routine . A timer is used for all transitions, and wiggle breaks are great!
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Great strategies, Tee! The calming corner and “walk and talk” are excellent ways to support emotional regulation. Consistency, organization, and routine are key for a happy classroom.
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I would reduce sensory input in the classroom. I would decorate with calm pastel colors, and have a calming area, with fidget toys and books. Knowing the child’s triggers and teaching them some calming breathing techniques could help.
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Carol, your strategy of reducing sensory input and providing a calming area with fidget toys and breathing techniques is an effective way to create a peaceful, supportive environment during tantrum moments.
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When a child is struggling, I like to start dancing or singing and helping them redirect into laughter. Even better, is when they start singing along with me!
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My suggestion is that children are allowed to take breaks in our calming corner, which accommodates only one or two friends at a time. I follow a routine, and if there is any change to it, I make an announcement during circle time. Additionally, I provide a reminder a few minutes before the change occurs.<footer></footer><footer></footer>
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Great approach, Nicole! Allowing breaks in a calming corner and using routines with clear reminders helps children manage their emotions and feel secure, creating a peaceful classroom environment.
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When having a rough time or upset we have a routine that I move to the child and then we both go to a special area that he can sit quietly and tell me what was going on or why he was upset. He really loves dinosaurs so we use the dinosaurs to talk about ways we can make our day be more fun. Have been working with a few of the students to join us when he is ready and we talk about working together. This enables a couple of my older students to be helpers to him if he is starting to get upset they can give me a heads up
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Tantrum moments may be difficult to deal with in the beginning, but there is always a way to turn it into a positive moment. First comes first, I always try to make the child comfortable. I normally do so by being with the student on their level, even if it is only for a brief moment, and asking them to take a few deep breaths. In my experience the worse a tantrum gets the more it will distract the other students in the class. Deep breaths help calm the student down. Once they are a little calmer, depending on the situation I ask if they would like to sit quietly by themselves for a moment to calm down or if they would like to talk about the situation. Depending on the situation, I either use guiding questions to direct the child to resolve the issue, or I redirect their thoughts to something that will make them laugh or smile.
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I usually allow the child to go sit in the calming corner until he or she is comfortable enough to join the class. This allows them to process that overwhelming feeling by using stuffies, and other sensory items.
