Tantrums at Drop Off

[country girl]

I have to agree with Mustbenuts and Bright Sparks. Hell will freeze over before I applaud or cheer on a temper tantrum.

Yep...what she said! I get diverting his attention to another area when Mom is leaving to try & get him to stop crying but not by throwing a party for the behaviour.

[sunnydays]

I think the cheering was meant to distract him and to use humour to snap him out of it...to make him see the ridiculous nature of his behaviour ( as much a 2 year old can). I don't think it was meant to say that we condone his behaviour...she did NOT say to give him a prize or a cupcake. I think anything that stops the tantrum (with the exception of bribery etc) is fine. And I do think the tantrum is him expressing him emotions...he just isn't old enough to express them appropriately and needs to be snapped out of it.

[daycaremum]

I agree that the poster who suggested cheering him on was suggesting the clapping and cheering as a "reverse psychology" type of thing. I wouldn't involve the other kids as that seems a little like humiliation, drawing attention to the little boy while he's upset. I tell the kids there is nothing wrong with crying if they are upset, but they may not scream. I to either let them stay at their cubby until they are ready to join or give them a private spot to cry (not a time out). A lot of times they will not choose to come back to the group on their own. At that time I walk up to them, get down on their level to look them straight in the eyes and tell them, "No you're all done crying and you're going to come and play now." I take them by the hand and bring them straight to a toy and start talking to them about it until they engage in play. Usually once I've given them a chance to cry on their own and then go and tell them they are done now, they cooperate.

[Momof4]

I think there's a difference between a child expressing his feelings and child who is crying to get his way. I think separating him is a good idea but I would never applaud crying. I get the whole distraction thing but there is no way I am going to cheer on a child in the middle of a tantrum. I think Bright Sparks was bang on.

I have to agree with this. Cheering and applauding are used for fun and good behaviour at my daycare and I don't reward bad behaviour in any way because that would be too confusing for toddlers. Reverse psychology might work on an older child but these little people would not understand mixed messages like that!