Doctors Revealed What Happens Inside A Child’s Brain During A Tantrum – And How You Can Stop It

Her child’s cries pierced through the noise of the busy grocery store. This happened every time she denied her daughter a treat. And people were staring as the screaming got louder and louder. Why did she do this? Well, now neurologists know what happens in a child’s brain during a tantrum – and how to stop it... Thank god.

Loud Tantrums

This could be a game changer for any parent or guardian, but especially those plagued by their child’s tantrums. They’re quite common too; a toddler can’t communicate as well as an adult. So they voice their issues loudly – screaming being a part of that.

Signaling Cries

“Tantrums come from your child not getting what they want,” Kidshealth reported in 2018. “Think of tantrums as their way of telling you they’re upset and frustrated.” According to the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS), these outbursts usually begin in kids of roughly 18-months-old and continue until a child’s third year. Not constantly, mind you – they take breaks in between.

Psychological Effect

It’s not unheard of for older children to have tantrums, too. So just how common are the dreaded meltdowns? Medicine.net reports that anywhere from 23 percent to 85 percent of two to four-year-olds have them. But not only is the onset of a tantrum inconvenient, it also has a psychological effect.

Threat of Embarrassment

Ph.D. and author Thomas Phelan elaborated more on the subject to Parents.com in May 2020. “The biggest problem with temper tantrums is the threat of embarrassment,” he explained. “You fear that you’re going to look like a totally inept parent in front of everyone. And by the time kids are 13-months-old, they sense that.”