Dealing with meltdowns
Show your support
I tell my daughter a few minutes before I want her to do something, that she'll be doing something in a few minutes, or after she's finishing doing something or I put a timer on and tell her when the beeps go off then we are doing something new. This has helped with transitions albeit not every time. When she's having a tantrum, if i cant distract her with something silly or dancing, I tell her I'm giving her a minute and to come and see me when she's finished. Tends to work with her.
I give a warning about what is coming next, something like "soon we are going in to prepare dinner". Sometimes when the time comes (no more than one minute after) he accepts it, sometimes he doesn't. We let him cry and sit next to him cuddling and saying "we understand you are frustrated because you wanted to continue to play, but we need to go inside". Is it easy? No way! Sometimes I just want to leave him there crying but I always imagine myself crying and the person who I trust more leaving me alone.
I let him whinge it out & eventually he gets over himself & then i cuddle him & tell him that he makes mama crazy 😂😂
We hold space in those situations where he doesn't want to be touched or cuddled. We let him know we're there for a cuddle when he's ready and it's ok to feel how he feels. It felt really odd to me at first! Felt like I should be cuddling him when he's upset but he obviously doesn't want it in those moments! The more I've done it the easier it's felt and his meltdowns have actually become much shorter and more manageable.