<a title="Temper Trantrums" href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2011/12/05/temper-tantrums-theres-method-to-the-madness/" target="_blank">New research into temper tantrums</a> in young children shows that the best parental reaction is . . . to ignore them.  Researchers sewed microphones into the onesies of 13 two to three year olds and recorded their cries during temper tantrums.  Then they analyzed the sounds and rhythms for the corresponding emotions.

Their conclusion? “Ignoring the child” is the fastest way to get past the tantrum. Do not argue or engage with the child until the child calms down.

[caption id="attachment_732" align="alignleft" width="209" caption="Andrew always did EVERYTHING 110 percent, including temper tantrums. This photo, at 6 months, shows his personality."]<a href="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Andrew6mo.jpg"><img class="size-large wp-image-732 " title="Andrew6mo" src="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Andrew6mo-769x1024.jpg" alt="" width="209" height="278" /></a>[/caption]

They could have saved their research money if only they had asked me!  Or asked my mother, who long before anyone dreamed of this study, advised me to ignore tantrums.
Our oldest son Andrew was our king of the temper tantrums.  Starting just before his second birthday, if he was not getting what he wanted, he could - and would - throw himself on the floor of the grocery store - or any store - and pound arms and legs until I wondered if he’d bruise himself.

Following my mother’s advice, I would walk a few yards down the grocery store aisle, pick up a can of something, anything off the shelf and pretend to read the label. I’d watch Andrew out of the corner of my eye.

He’d get up off the floor, stomp down the aisle until he was beside me, then toss himself on the floor and begin the tantrum again.

[caption id="attachment_733" align="alignright" width="210" caption="Not hard to see that gung-ho, give-it-everything-I&#39;ve-got personality trait, is it?"]<a href="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Andrew110.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-733 " title="Andrew110" src="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Andrew110-210x300.jpg" alt="" width="210" height="300" /></a>[/caption]

I’d put the can back on the shelf, then move further down the aisle, pick up another item and pretend to read that label, as if I was completely oblivious to the screaming child who kept following me.

By the end of the aisle, the tantrum was usually over.

I found he was less likely to pitch a fit if I did not to take him places when he was tired or hungry.  But, nothing I did completely eliminated his tantrums.  Until just before he turned three, he simply quit pitching tantrums, abandoning them as an apparently ineffective means of trying to get his way.

Except when my mother-in-law visited.  She found it impossible to ignore the tantrums.  So Andrew continued them when she was around, until after his fourth birthday.

The study on temper tantrums, done by Michael Potegal and James A. Green, was published in the journal Emotion and reported on NPR’s Morning Edition today.