How to manage your pandemic baby’s temper tantrums

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Children show increase in mental health difficulties over COVID-19 lockdown, on the Oxford University website.Another article, titled Babies Are Saying Less Since the Pandemic: Why That’s Concerning, on American educational news website Edweek cites research being done by The Advanced Baby Imaging Lab at the INSPIRE Center of Rhode Island Hospital since 2010. As per the study, “infants born during the pandemic vocalised significantly less and engaged in less verbal turn-taking behaviours that are critical for language development." Temper tantrums are a natural and predictable part of child development. Dr.

Asmita Mahajan, neonatologist and paediatrician at SL Raheja Hospital, Mahim, Mumbai, explains that tantrums are particularly common in children between the ages of 18 months and 4 years. “These emotional outbursts occur because children have not yet developed the vocabulary to express their feelings verbally. Instead, they communicate through intense physical behaviours such as screaming, kicking, and crying," she says.

Tantrums generally decrease as children mature and learn to express themselves in words. However, Dr. Mahajan warns that if tantrums are very frequent, extremely violent, or persist beyond the age of four, they may indicate developmental issues like ADHD or autism.

“In these cases, seeking professional help is advisable to identify the root cause and provide the appropriate guidance," she says. Dr. Debmita Dutta, a parenting consultant in Bengaluru, emphasises that children born during the pandemic face unique stressors.