The terrible twos is just a natural part of a toddler’s development, but is there anything we can do to minimize the distress caused during this testing time?

Why do toddlers throw tantrums?

About 50 to 60 percent of toddlers will throw tantrums; it’s a natural part of their development. It is important to note that it can begin anytime during your child’s second year, and so anytime after their first birthday, and unfortunately, sometimes even before.

At this age we don’t see much co-operation with toddlers; they don’t socialize very well and they’re very egocentric. Toddlers only care about what they want, but don’t have the verbal skills to tell someone. When they can’t get their point across the only thing they know how to do is to burst into tears or throw a tantrum. When your precious little one has turned into a little monster just remember, he is just trying to express his growing independence and doesn’t have the language skills to easily express his needs.

Is there anything we as parents can do to tame these toddlers?

The key is to make the toddler feel more secure. Much of their frustration stems from a lack of control over their environment. Offer them a stable routine and you may well see that they are more calm, collected and in control of their outbursts.

Provide them with a means of communication; Baby Sign Language can be a useful tool to help them communicate what they want. Using simple gestures can be helpful for a toddler who doesn’t have the vocabulary for all of the things in their world just yet. Baby Sign Language can also be used to re-direct the child away from the source of frustration to a more agreeable alternative.

It is really important to set boundaries. A toddler is overwhelmed if they do not have boundaries. Setting a routine with boundaries and consistently sticking to this will help your toddler become more resilient.

Offer them limited choices; give them the option of one thing or the other. Don’t open the draw and ask them what they want to wear for the day, put out two outfits and offer them one or the other.

Spend quality one on one time with your toddler. They are more likely to go off and play happily on their own once they have had their fill of your attention.

Don’t fight them on every single battle, pick your battles. Rather than give in to their tantrums, use a distraction or offer an alternative to focus the attention away from the problem. Try to step in early and recognize the signs of the upcoming melt down.

Focus on his good behavior rather than the negative. Just remember the terrible twos are a phase and will pass. The terrible twos are just a natural part of growing up and they do end.

Toddler Interpreter teach Baby Signs and they offer the best Free Baby Sign Language Chart  available online and their Baby Sign Language Book is used by parents and childcare centres in the United Kingdom, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to Teach Baby Sign Language. Sign Language for Babies is easy using Toddler Interpreter’s comprehensive Baby Sign Language Dictionary. Sign Language for Toddlers can help reduce frustration and Baby Sign Language has proved very beneficial for Premature Babies, children with Velo Cardio Facial Syndrome and other babies at risk of developing a speech delay.