I can see that you are very angry now
Living Democracy » Parents » TODDLERS (1 – 3 years) » Throwing a Tantrum » I can see that you are very angry nowThis father tries to mirror the feelings and actions of his daughter. He doesn’t take the tantrum personally and understands it as an expression of a strong feeling by his daughter, or a non-verbal sign of her tiredness (a 1-hour shopping tour is quite exhausting for a 2-year old girl!). Applying the principles of open communication, the father begins to talk with his daughter about her feelings. This will lead to a successful interaction with his daughter (see our information about open communication). The daughter may seem too young for this kind of communication, but this experiment will be worth trying. You could express your understanding for her desire to get these cookies. Then you could explain why it is not possible to satisfy this desire today:
“Mhmmm, you’re right: these cookies are delicious. I love them, too. But we bought 3 packs of them the last time we went shopping. Can you remember? So, we don’t need to buy any more cookies today. Otherwise the ones we have at home will get stale. Please, help me put these packs back on the shelf and then we go to the checkout counter. Maybe we’ll have some of your cookies when we get home.”