Whining can really be frustrating for parents. On one hand, they don’t always want to give in to their child’s requests, since doing so might spoil them. But on the other hand, listening to your toddler whine can really wear your patience really thin.
Why do toddlers whine?
First off, it’s important to know why toddlers whine in the first place. Most of the time, toddlers whine because they don’t have any other way of letting you know what they want.
According to Elizabeth Pantley, author of the book “No-Cry Discipline Solution,” is that toddlers don’t have much control over their emotions. And what parents see as an overreaction is really how their child feels about the situation.
“Young children know what they want, but they haven’t learned the proper way to ask,” she shares. “Their emotions are at the surface, and they aren’t thinking of manners, but of their immediate needs.”
Their whining or ‘bad behavior’ is just a result of them being kids, and not knowing any better. Parents need to extend their patience when dealing with kids, and they should also know what to do if their kid starts to whine or have a tantrum.
What can parents do about it?
Thankfully, parents can easily teach their toddlers the proper manners, and the proper means of expressing their emotions.
A good way of teaching your child the proper manners would be to teach it by example. Whenever they start to whine, or have a tantrum, you should set an example by first keeping calm, and try to avoid shouting or getting angry at your child.
Tell your child calmly that it’s not good to yell or to cry so that they can get what they want. Ask them to calm down first, and then tell you why they’re upset.
It’s also important to always pay attention to your child, so that you can know their emotional triggers, and what upsets or frustrates them. That way, you can avoid those situations and prevent things from escalating in the first place.
All children whine. Just because your child whines or makes a scene in public doesn’t mean that you’re not a good parent. It just means that you have more things that you need to teach your child. Don’t lose hope, and always remember to be calm, and be consistent when it comes to teaching your child proper manners.
Source: newparent.com
READ: Your toddler doesn’t care: why you shouldn’t ask your child to say sorry