7 Proven Ways to Stop a Temper Tantrum No Matter Where You Are

1. Take a Long, Deep and Calm Breaths

When a child is upset, their breathing will change into shallow, quick and short breaths. The first step to success is explaining to your child how to pause and take deep breaths. This is an exercise you can practice with them daily. Start by taking a four-second slow, deep breath in through your nose and holding it for two seconds. Over the course of four seconds, exhale slowly and evenly through your mouth and repeat the process for five to ten breaths.

A method often used to teach younger kids how to practice breathing exercises is through blowing bubbles. The breathing motions required to blow bubbles is the same technique used for taking long, deep, calming breaths. For older children, you can explain this method as blowing a balloon inside their belly. Ask them to pretend a balloon is in their belly and they need to fill it with air and then release. This may seem like a simple task, but it is very effective in calming children down.