Sometimes, a young child's tantrum or fussiness is just an indication that there is a change going on due to social/emotional growth or because of changes in the family dynamics. It's good to notice these times, not react to the problem or behavior, then make some changes to accommodate the child.
For instance a young mother wrote to me that her 3 year old was resisting bedtime, all of sudden, making a fuss, waking in the night to throw a tantrum if she didn't bring him into her bed to sleep.
She is a working mother and I thought maybe the child didn't have enough playtime or contact with her at the end of his day. I then suggested she ask him to "help" her make supper and change the bath, bedtime reading, playing routine around to make it all "new" again. When she did this her next reply was to let me know what a pleasant evening her family had together and that her son slept through the entire night, which hadn't happened in weeks.
Routine is important for children but sometimes it doesn't suit their changing needs, so just taking a look at how to make some adjustments can make a world of difference.
Try it!
Cheryl
