Mom shares game-changing 'ice trick' to ease toddler tantrums while letting them express their frustration

One of the most chaoticthings for toddler parents is to handle tantrums. Children will scream and cry at the slightest things because they’re unsure how to express themselves and are still learning. It can be brutal for parents to handle these tantrums time and again and we often shut these down by quietening the child. A mom who goes by @newenglandrunnr on TikTok revealed that there is a simple way to handle toddler tantrums which also allows them to express their rage and frustration and let it all out and for many, this one’s a winner. 

“One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever gotten from this app was to treat my toddler’s tantrums and meltdowns like anxiety attacks,” she revealed. She added that toddlers’ frustration needs to be handled the way we would handle ours. “So you’re treating the boy’s response to it and you can talk to them about why it’s not acceptable later,” she noted. The mom went on to say that she has a method she uses with her 3-year-old when he’s having a meltdown which helps instantly. “When he’s having a really tough time, I’ll just give him an ice cube and let him throw it in the bathtub,” the mom explained. 

There are 2 reasons why this method works and “instantly calms down” the child. Firstly, the mom noted that being in frustration and wanting to express the same, the act of throwing something instantly helps and so the toddler is willing to do the same. Secondly, the cold water from the ice “tricks down the nervous system” by calming it down and distracting it. The mom described the technique as the “best one” to calm a child down. In her caption, the mom mentioned how a part of the trick works at daycare too. The toddler is allowed to splash cold water on himself for a bit which again works to calm him down instantly. Several parents appreciated the method and are clinging to it. 

The science and logic behind the same is what has many approving the trick. Towards the end of the video, the mom suggested trying this trick to handle toddler meltdowns the way one would handle their own anxiety attacks and it is a top-notch approach for parents. @katiepunkin wrote, “My favorite and oldest is to enter a complaint-off where we each get a turn to rant and vent about all the things that make us mad. She needs to see that I understand her emotionally.” @noreeenmaguire added, “I think this is why handling tantrums is easier for me than my husband. I get why they’re freaking out, it’s not logical but anxiety is not logical either.” 

@madspalm remarked, “It’s even teaching them how to express frustration, anger and anxiety and not bottle it up.” @putridpamplemousse noted, “My kids are frequent fliers to the nurse's office for ice packs because ice packs were my go-to when they’re freaking out. Works 80% of the time.” @the_queen.t said, “Early educator here. Giving kids outlets to truly feel their feelings helps in regulation skills.”

You can follow (@newenglandrunnr) on TikTok for more content on parenting.