Important notice to customers — product packaging changesLearn More

NEW FOOD PACKAGING IN STORE NOW

From August 2018, customers will notice our rebranded food packaging start to appear on shelf in all major stockists.

  • CURRENT Packaging
  • new Packaging

We are excited to announce our new packaging will start to appear on shelf from August 2018. This transition to new packaging will occur over a number of months. During this time there will be a mix of current and new packaging on shelf.

There are no major changes to these products, in some instances there is a small name change or slight recipe improvement, see below for the full details.

Products purchased via the website will be delivered to customers in our old packaging until the end of October. From November, products ordered from the website will be delivered in the new packaging.

Please note, our Infant Formula packaging will not be rebranded until later in 2019.

For any questions, connect with our team of accredited practising Dietitians on +61 3 6332 9200

Product name changes

  • Cereal Name Changes
  • CURRENT Packaging Organic Baby Rice
  • NEW Packaging Organic Rice with Prebiotic (GOS) Note: Our Baby Rice recipe has been upgraded to now include GOS Prebiotic
  • CURRENT Packaging Organic Vanilla Rice Custard
  • NEW Packaging Organic Milk & Vanilla Baby Rice
  • CURRENT Packaging Organic Apple & Cinnamon Porridge
  • NEW Packaging Organic Apple & Cinnamon Baby Porridge
  • Ready To Serve Name Changes
  • CURRENT Packaging Organic Banana, Pear & Mango
  • New Packaging Organic Banana, Pear, Apple & Mango
  • CURRENT Packaging Organic Mango, Blueberry & Apple
  • New Packaging Organic Blueberry, Mango & Apple
  • CURRENT Packaging Organic Peach & Apple
  • New Packaging Organic Grape, Apple & Peach
  • CURRENT Packaging Organic Pumpkin & Tomato Risotto
  • New Packaging Organic Pumpkin, Sweet Potato & Tomato
  • CURRENT Packaging Organic Broccoli, Beef & Brown Rice
  • New Packaging Organic Beef & Vegetables
  • Note: We have also upgraded some of our RTS recipes to remove added sugars and to remove some of the more complex ingredients that are not required for young children such as Tamari.
  • RUSKS NAME CHANGES
  • CURRENT Packaging Organic Milk Rusks Toothiepegs
  • New Packaging Organic Milk Rusks
Home/Nutrition & Recipes/Toddlers (1-2 years old)/12 Tips for Managing Toddler Tantrums in Public

12 Tips for Managing Toddler Tantrums in Public

bellamysorganic - Toddler Tantrums in Public (2)
Crying, screaming, shouting. Arching the back, tensing the body, flailing the arms. Kicking, hitting, lashing out. Throwing things, breaking things, stomping the feet. All signs of a perfectly normal, perfectly healthy temper tantrum.

A temper tantrum from your child is something every parent faces. Some tantrums are mild and involve nothing more than a few tears. Others are like a summer storm that blow in when you’re least expecting it and leave nothing but destruction in its path. The size of your child’s tantrum will vary depending on their mood, the situation and your reaction, but both small and big tantrums have something in common -they’re not wanted and they require quick settlement. Especially when that tantrum happens to be in public.

A public temper tantrum can be hugely embarrassing, despite the fact that every other parent can relate. When you’re staring down the barrel of a red-faced toddler holding a toy you don’t want to buy, it can be tempting to cave and accept their demands. But is that the right reaction?

According to Raising Children, absolutely not. The most important thing is to make sure you don’t accidently reward your child’s tantrum.

Handling a tantrum quickly and cleanly

The reality of a tantrum is that its degree will depend on how you react. Blow your top and it’s only going to get worse. Ignore it and your child believes it’s acceptable behaviour. Finding a good balance means staying calm and speaking rationally.

To stay calm, it’s important to remind yourself that a tantrum is your child’s way of becoming more independent. Granted it’s not the best approach, but they’re little. What else do they know? The handling of situations is something that must be taught and should be treated like another skill that needs to be learnt – sitting, standing, walking, talking, eating etc. By teaching them other approaches that don’t involve the stamping of feet and holding of breath, your child can still gain independence but in a much more manageable way.

According to research in the US, the percentage of young children throwing tantrums is high. In fact:

  • 87% of 18-24 month olds throw tantrums
  • 91% of 30-36 month olds throw tantrums
  • 59% of 42-48 month olds throw tantrums.

The average tantrum lasts:

  • 2 minutes in 1 year olds
  • 4 minutes in 2-3 year olds
  • 5 minutes in 4 year olds.

The low-key approach

When a tantrum is mild, managing it is simply a case of following a few steps.

Step 1: Avoid it entirely

More often than not, a tantrum that centres on the fact they can’t buy a toy, get a lollipop or leave the shop is actually the result of something else. Tiredness, hunger, and overstimulation can cause kids to become overly sensitive, so address these issues before a tantrum comes. Boredom also plays a role, so try to avoid dragging kids around for too long when visiting friends or running errands.

Step 2: Distraction

Distraction is a wonderful tool, and the right distraction at the right time can quickly put an end to a brewing tantrum. Distraction ideas include:

  • Singing a silly or favourite song
  • Pointing them to something of interest
  • Doing something they least expect, such as drop to the floor and sit cross-legged or break into a dance
  • Play “guess the animal sounds”
  • Play “hide the cutlery”.

Just be aware that you’ll need a series of distraction tools, as no single distraction works every time.

Step 3: Stay calm

Getting angry and snapping at your child to be quiet will only make them more upset. Keep your voice calm and act deliberately and slowly. If necessary, close your eyes and repeat a mantra, such as:

  • Smiling brings me joy
  • Peace is within my reach
  • I’m in charge of my stress response
  • I am grateful for this moment
  • Stress is not my friend

bellamysorganic - Toddler Tantrums in Public

Step 4: Don’t cave

If a tantrum occurs because your child wants something or doesn’t want to do something (such as go home), gently insist that your request be listened to. Do not cave and say “yes, you can have five more minutes” or “okay then, put it in the trolley”. This just teaches your child that they will eventually be rewarded if they shout long enough.

Step 5: Reward good responses

If your child comes out of their tantrum quickly and efficiently, reward them with praise (not a toy!). Managing frustration is an important tool to have in your belt, so congratulate them on a job well done.

Step 6: Be consistent

Consistency is key in managing tantrums, and conflicting responses can cause tantrums to become more frequent. Children sometimes love to “test” Mum and Dad to see their responses, but if it’s the same every time, they’ll soon get bored.

The tough approach

When a tantrum is more severe or they are particularly frequent, you may need to take a tougher approach. Tantrums are classed as severe if they are hugely disruptive, cause significant distress to you, the others around you and your child, or if there’s a chance someone could get hurt.

Steps to managing severe tantrums include:

Step 1: Keep a diary

If tantrums are coming thick and fast, start a diary to record when they occur. Write down the day, where it happened, why it happened, what happened just before, and what happened after. This may give you a better idea as to why the tantrums are happening.

Step 2: Plan ways to avoid stressful situations

Some children can be particularly sensitive to stress, and others may go through sensitive stages. If this is the case, try to avoid situations that may cause them distress, or make a greater point of taking good distractions with you.

Step 3: Consider a reward chart

Reward good behaviour with a sticker chart and award stickers for the moments when a tantrum could easily occur. If you feel a tantrum could be on its way, remind your child of how good they have been so far and offer lots of praise.

Step 4: Practice coping skills

Choose a happy moment to discuss situations your child might face. Give them different scenarios and ask them to offer ideas in how to react. Ask questions such as “what would you do if Ben picked up the toy you wanted to play with?” If they’re unsure how to respond, give them options – “would you snatch it of his hands?, would you cry and shout?, or would you ask to have a go in five minutes and then play with something else?”.

Step 5: Give warning

Prepare your child by informing them that you will be leaving in 10 minutes, then five minutes, then two minutes. By the time you need to leave, they’ll be more accepting of saying goodbye. You can also prepare them by saying things like, “We’re going to visit Grandma now for an hour, but then we’ll find something else fun to do”.

Step 6: Get help

If you are worried your child’s tantrums are more than just tiredness, hunger or the acceptable need to be independent, speak to your child health nurse or doctor about . Not addressing tantrums early on can cause tantrum habits to stick well into adulthood.

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Important Notice to Parents and Guardians

  • Breast milk is the best for babies. The World Health Organisation recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life. Unnecessary introduction of bottle feeding or other food and drinks will have a negative impact on breastfeeding. After six months of age, infants should receive age-appropriate foods while breastfeeding continues for up to two years of age or beyond. Consult your doctor before deciding to use infant formula or if you have difficulty breastfeeding.
  • The content on this website is intended as general information for Singaporean residents only and should not be used as a substitute for medical care and advice from your healthcare practitioner. According to recommendations from the Singapore Health Promotion Board, solid food should be given to babies only after 6 months.