Sometimes there is no amount of talking through a tantrum. Your child may not be thinking straight for another, more basic reason.
I heard about this little trick in the audiobook of Daniel Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson’s The Whole-Brain Child:
HALT and ask yourself:
- Hungry: Is my child hungry?
- Angry: Is my child angry?
- Lonely: Is my child feeling lonely?
- Tired: Is my child tired?
If the answer is “yes” to any one of these questions, then the many other strategies to help integrate your child’s brain might not work.
Focus on those basic needs first, then help them develop mentally and emotionally.
