​DID YOU KNOW?

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month! 
Please spread awareness in your own community and get involved.

In 2017, over 600,000 children were victims of child abuse or neglect and more than 1700 died as a result of this trauma. Child maltreatment happens in every community and at every socioeconomic level. 

In honor of Child Abuse Prevention Month, here are some tips on managing temper tantrums and your stress! Temper tantrums are typical behavior for young children, but these behaviors can be frustrating!  Young children do not have the verbal ability to express their wants, needs and feelings, so often these things get expressed by crying, yelling and screaming. 

Here are a few things you can do if your child is having a tantrum:

  • Remain calm!  This is easier said than done, but your behavior will model the behavior that you want for your child.  Have a plan a head of time when going into situations where your child may act out.
  • Find a quiet place for your child to calm down.  Make sure it is a safe place for your child.
  • Ignore your child’s behavior.  If you child is in a safe place, then turn away from them until they calm down.  Once they are calm, you can interact with them again.  This will reinforce to your child that they will get attention once they are quiet.
  • Be clear with your expectations.  For example, tell your child that once they are quiet they can go back to playing.

Here are some tips to prevent tantrums:

  • Stick to a routine. Kids love routine, so make a visual schedule so they can prepare for what’s next.
  • Sleep!  Young children need their sleep otherwise you may see more unwanted behaviors.  Toddler and preschoolers need at least 10+ hours of sleep in a day.  Try having a bedtime routine, this will help with getting kids to bed.
  • Offer simple, reasonable choices.  Offer kids 2 acceptable choices.  For example: would you like apples or oranges?  Too many choices can overwhelm kids.
  • Give kids a warning with transitioning.  Kids need time when transitioning from one activity to another, so try setting a timer to tell them how much time they have left with the activity before moving to the next.

Tips to Managing Stress:

  • Make time for yourself.  Everyone needs a break, even if it is just a few minutes. Do something relaxing like reading a book, taking a bath or listening to music.
  • Surround yourself by people that support you.  This may be a family member, friend or neighbor.  These are people that can be there to help you when you are feeling stressed or just need some time to yourself. 
  • Sleep!  Just like your kids, you too need sleep.  The average adult needs 7-9 hours of sleep at night.  Try to make sleep a priority.
  • Remain calm.  Try doing meditation, stretching or deep breathing exercise when you are feeling overwhelmed.  Your kids may even want to join you in these activities!


​By Sara Kilbride, DO
Child Abuse Pediatrics Fellow
Division of Child Adversity & Resilience 
Children’s Mercy Kansas City
​4/1/2019