While summer is filled with fun, sunshine, and the freedom to be more spontaneous, it can also be full of tantrums for parents of little ones. The longer days and hotter temperatures add pressure to their physical and mental systems. And summer naturally has less structure and routine, which puts pressure on them emotionally. These things sound really bad, but let’s look at them as opportunities to grow. Summer isn’t going away, so let’s help our kids work through these pressures and learn how to handle them. Tantrums can tend to increase in the summer. In order to help them grow through these tantrums, we need to think about what is behind these outbursts. So let’s look at a few ways of understanding big feelings in the summertime with our kids.
Why Summer Can Lead to More Tantrums
Tantrums are a normal part of early childhood development, but summer can bring on more tantrums and outbursts. Let’s think about why.
First, it’s just hotter. Being hot and thirsty affects all of us, so it’s no surprise that it affects our kids. And kids are learning how to manage their emotions. It’s not likely that their first thought would be, “I’m just uncomfortable. It’s OK. I can cool off soon.” It is likely that they will express their discomfort loudly through their words or their behavior.
Secondly, their routines are disrupted. Between late nights, vacations, and skipped naps, our little ones are tired and not quite sure what’s coming next.
Then there’s the overstimulation and high expectations of summertime. This is just the busy schedule, big outings and noises, new environments, and the general over-excitement about everything. Summer can bring a lot of overwhelm, and then it doesn’t always live up to what we expect.
So it’s on us as parents to help them identify that they are uncomfortable, but it won’t last forever. We can help them have opportunities to rest or to adjust to new situations. And we can look for ways to recognize and prevent tantrums.
Recognizing the Triggers
Sometimes we can spot a tantrum coming before it hits. We can watch for physical signs like rubbing their eyes, flushed cheeks, or slumped posture. There could also be emotional signs like whining, clinginess, or sudden refusal to do simple tasks.
Then there are things we can know are going to bring pressure. Long car rides, transitions between activities, or even crowded spaces are pretty common tantrum situations. So let’s do what we can to understand big feelings in the summertime so that we can help our kids.
When we see these signs or situations, we can look for ways to support our kids.
Staying Ahead of Tantrums
While we can’t prevent every meltdown, we could probably prevent a lot of them. Understanding big feelings in the summertime helps us to figure out ways to help our kids through these big feelings.
We know about routines, right? So let’s stick to them as much as we can. And when we can’t, let’s help our kids know what is coming up so they can feel more secure.
Let’s keep our kids hydrated and fed. You might think, “Of course!” But it’s so easy for any of us to get dehydrated in the summer. And sometimes mealtimes are all over the place. So let’s be really intentional about keeping our little ones hydrated and fed. It might be that we have to take water and snacks everywhere we go. It might help to have a stash of snacks in our cars or a standard cooler that we pack up each time we head out. Whatever you decide, have some kind of plan for snacks and water.
Another way to show our understanding of big feelings in the summertime is to allow for breaks. We all need a little bit of down time, even on a big fun day. Let’s make sure we schedule that for our kids.
And then there are those pesky transition times. Our kids don’t want to go there, and then they don’t want to leave there. So let’s be good about letting them know what’s next, and giving them time to adjust. Those “5-more-minutes” reminders really are helpful. And it helps to tell our kids what is next, even if it’s just going home.
See Tantrums as Learning Moments
It’s easy to feel like your child’s tantrum means you’re doing something wrong, but tantrums are simply part of growing up. They’re simply signs your child needs support. So it’s important that we understand big feelings in the summertime so that we can support our kids through them.
With practice, our kids will learn how to handle these big feelings. And when we stay calm and responsive, we help our little ones build the emotional skills they need for life.
Communication can be key in addressing and preventing tantrums. That’s what we teach at My Signing Time through our ad-free, educational shows. When little ones have a way to express themselves, they are more capable of communicating instead of melting down. Check out our Baby Signing Time and Signing Time shows to see how we help even the youngest kids learn to communicate.
Summer brings so much fun, but also some real challenges for little ones who are still learning how to handle their bodies, feelings, and expectations. When we understand big feelings in the summertime, we are better able to respond to them with the care they need. At the same time, we parents need to give ourselves grace. We won’t be able to prevent every tantrum, and that’s OK. We’re doing the best we can, and we can be free to grow too. Our kids learn from watching us learn and grow. So let’s do what we can to understand big feelings in the summertime.