Although tantrums are most common for 2 and 3 year olds there are also a lot of younger children who torture their parents and carers with tantrums.

So why do children have tantrums? Quite simply because they do not yet have advanced communication skills or social graces. With no clear idea of what is appropriate behaviour or how to verbalise their feelings tantrums are a natural reaction.

So what are the triggers for tantrums? The most common triggers are:

Pain or illness: This is sometimes with an illness that is making a child feel ill already such as a cold and sometimes something which is about to start for example during teething or before Chicken Pox

When they hear “no”: When a child gets told they cannot have or do something they will usualy see it as unfair and irrational even when the reasons have been fully explained. A tantrum gives them both an opportunity to vent their anger and also the chance to try to scream their way into getting what they want.

When they are frustrated: From being babies children think of themselves as older than they are and get easily frustrated when they cannot do something which older children and adults seem to find easy. When this happens some children will cry, some will persevere but those going through a tantrum phase will scream!

Being restrained: How many times have you heard a child scream blue murder when being strapped into a car seat? When a child begins to walk, and for quite some time afterwards, their world is suddenly wide open and exciting and being strapped into seats or buggys, wearing reigns or wrist straps or being carried when they want to walk can often trigger screams, arched backs and other tantrum behaviour.

Hunger, tiredness, thirst: These are things which, as adults, we recognise but for children they are just uncomfortable feelings with no justification. The way to deal with feeling miserable when you don’t know what is wrong? A tantrum of course!

Attention seeking: Children love attention. Even if they are shy and the attention they want is just that of their mother. Children don’t understand, however, that adults have jobs to do and conversations to have and if one of those things means that a child is not getting immediate attention, either in general or when they are trying to speak, then a tantrum may ensue.