Moody Toddlers

Moody Toddlers

Many parents get frustrated and concerned about their toddlers mood swings. In most cases a toddlers mood swings are normal. There are many causes or mood swings in toddlers but here are a few causes and some tips on how to deal with them.

Inability to communicate feelings or wants and needs. It’s very frustrating for your toddler to be so limited with verbal communication. Until your toddler develops their vocabulary expect that they will be emotional as they try to communicate.

What you can do: Tell your child to take their time when communicating. Give them enough time to get their point across. If they still can’t get their point across, give them hints to help them. However, try not to speak for your child as this can hurt their confidence when communicating later in life.

Testing boundaries – Your toddler is experiencing more independence than they ever had before. It’s natural for them to begin to test the rules you have set for them. This may result in your child saying “no they don’t want to go to eat” or “no they don’t want to go to sleep”.

What you can do: Reinforce the rules. Toddlers need stability. It might seem easier to give in to your toddler to avoid an emotional meltdown but this could lead to more moodiness and behavior problems later. This defiance might just be your toddlers attempt to understand rules. Try explaining the reasoning behind each rule. That may be help them understand why rules are in place.

New feelings – With new experiences (like school) comes new feeling for your toddler. Feelings like fear of being separated from parents and caregivers are new for toddlers. This could lead to moodiness.

What you can do: Reinforce to your child that you are always looking out for them. Try to explain that change is a natural part of life. Give your toddler more attention during times of change.

Moodiness is normal for toddlers but if you have any question about what’s normal and what’s not, see a qualified healthcare professional.