Even the best behaved toddler can experience a temper tantrum at the most inopportune time! When a toddler experiences a temper tantrum, he or she can whine, cry, scream, kick, hit, and finally, hold their breath. This strikes toddlers rather frequently from the first year of age all the way up to age three. Some children may experience regular tantrums while others only rarely have a tantrum.

The toddler feels that he has come to subdue the world, and if he cannot do it, the one tool left in his arsenal is the temper tantrum.

All parents should become familiar with the basic causes of tantrums. The first thing a child does if he wants attention is have a tantrum, usually due to being tired, hungry or uncomfortable. This may be when the tantrum bar may rise. However, when language skills tend to develop, you will see less and less tantrums.

It seems that the temper tantrums rise during the second year as a child begins to acquire language. At this level, toddlers can usually understand more than they can express. Here is hope that as the toddler's language skills improve, the tantrums will begin to lessen.

You should make sure that off-limits objects are not only out of sight but well out of the reach of your toddler. Replace the forbidden object with a "safe" toy.

Choose your battles wisely. You must decide if it is outrageous or within reason. If it is, then accommodate when possible to avoid an outburst.

At times, when your child is not getting enough attention, he or she will act out. As her parent, you will just have to remember the good times and pick up on one of those for a good enforcement. It is your goal to start a good type of pattern so it can be reinforced.

Make sure your child isn't acting up simply because he or she isn't getting enough attention. To a child, negative attention is better than none.

This will teach your child that acting appropriately makes mommy and daddy happy and proud, and they'll be anxious to do it again and again.