When to Become Concerned about Temper Tantrums by Children

The eyes begin to water. The lower lip curls. The hands are balled into fists. The cheeks flush and the crying ensues. Parents everywhere are painfully familiar with the signs of oncoming temper tantrums. Children everywhere are apt to throw a tantrum, usually at the most inopportune moment.

A tantrum is a non-verbal way to express anger or discontent, a visceral response to hunger, anxiety, sleepiness or any of the other challenges early life throws across the path of a young child. Most of the time it is not, as some parents believe, an act put on by the child merely to gain attention. This is especially true for infants and toddlers, who have yet to develop language skills necessary to express their frustration or feelings of anger.

Learning to cope with temper tantrums in children is just a part of being a parent, and most figure out early on the best way to handle the occasional outbursts. Some parents ignore them, when possible. Others take the time to figure out what triggers tantrums and take steps to avoid those situations. Still others employ a "time out" for tantrum-throwing preschoolers. By the time most kids reach age 4, temper tantrums generally become less and less frequent.

Temper tantrums in children ordinarily are nothing to worry about. However, if a child's behavior does not improve after age 4, or if tantrums last longer than 15 minutes or occur more than three times a day, you may want to discuss your child's behavior with a pediatrician or family doctor. It also is important to consult a doctor if your child's tantrums consistently lead to violence, or if he or she becomes injured during a tantrum.

School-age children who continue to throw temper tantrums on a regular basis should be monitored for potential child behavior disorders, a learning disability or emotional disorder. Talk to your pediatrician for strategies to help your school-age child learn anger management.