21/11/2025
What Is a Tantrum?
A tantrum is a child’s emotional outburst in response to frustration, anger, or wanting something they can’t have.
Typically, tantrums are a reaction to an unmet need or desire, such as being told no, having to stop playing, or needing to do something unpleasant like homework.
These behaviors often happen when a child lacks the skills to express their feelings in a more effective way. It’s important to remember that tantrums are typically a learned behavior — children often figure out that tantrums can sometimes get them what they want.
For such, if a child’s tantrum leads to getting out of doing homework or receiving a special treat, the child may continue this behavior in the future.
Therefore, one of the primary goals in addressing tantrums is to help children unlearn these emotional outbursts and develop more positive ways to cope.
