Toddler tantrums: what to do, how long they’re normal, and when it’s worth taking a closer look

Few things make parents feel as exposed as a tantrum in public.

Your child cries, screams, throws themselves on the floor, goes stiff, keeps yelling “no,” and within millisecondsyou feel watched by strangers, judged by imaginary people, and tested by your own nervous system all at once.

There are tantrums on the way out the door. At the grocery store. During bath time. When it’s time to turn off the TV. When it’s time to put shoes on. When it’s time to leave the playground.