Hi Dr Aarti As parents we are often told not to raise our hands or lose our temper but there are so many instances when children misbehave and throw tantrums in public that sometimes we reprimand them in the heat of the moment. How does one control or manage one's temper during such times?

Ans: Hi Divya, the ideal situation would be for parents and children to have no concerns. But all emotions are important. And developmental skills are age related. A child who is misbehaving and throwing a tantrum is demanding attention. We all need attention. I would suggest the following strategies: 1. Stay Calm: when you and the child are both losing cool, it does not work. Staying cool is being in command. go down on your knees and talk in a slow base tone, after the initial tantrum is over. 2.Distraction technique: Show a child something pretty, the sky, a butterfly, ask your child to help you with something. Bribery does not work, like " I ll give you a sweet if you stop crying, now." That gives the child the power to affect you. 3. Carry a Bag: A bag of few favorite things like a comic, colours and book, a toy and something to eat and a water bottle, it supports a child to keep busy in a grown-up public world. 4. Familiarise: Show a photograph of the place and the people the child would meet, to help child get acclimatised to the space and people. 5. Lastly, let your child wear comfortable clothes, and have a full tummy.