Tantruming Children..has it ever been yours?

[Britt]

We talk about kiddos we see throwing tantrums all over WDW, but has it ever been YOUR child? Over tired, hungry, over heated and having some kind of nervous breakdown in the middle of your vacation? What was the story/reasoning behind it?

 

[Lucky]

We talk about kiddos we see throwing tantrums all over WDW, but has it ever been YOUR child? Over tired, hungry, over heated and having some kind of nervous breakdown in the middle of your vacation? What was the story/reasoning behind it?

Most of the tantrums I've seen are by adults.

 

[WDWmazprty]

Nope. My kids knew better to not have tantrums, but they never really had a reason too.

 

[G00fyDad]

Not mine. They have always been very well behaved. Even tired and irritable never made them freak out at Disney. Other people, yes. I see it every time we go to Disney. Some parent(s) "comandoing" it through the parks all but dragging exhausted children with them. Disney is supposed to be a place for the child to see magic and wonder. Some of these children likely never want to go back now. I remember one poor child (maybe 4 years old) on our last trip was crying her eyes out waiting in line for a character signing and the mother was just yelling at her to shut up and wait until they got their picture done then she would be fine and want to ride rides. No. That child is done. They want to go rest.

 

[Britt]

Most of the tantrums I've seen are by adults.

Hahahah I almost said "what about YOU...any adult tantrums", but I vaguely remembered a post about our own embarrassing behavior at the parks, so I didn't wanna seem repetitive...lol

 

[luv]

My son threw a couple tantrums when he was three. I picked him up, placed him in his room and told him he could re-join us when he was feeling quite himself.

I ignored the rest of it. I never, ever made following the rules optional or sat around explaining why the rules were in place and making sure he was okay with them.

He never got the impression that throwing a fit would benefit him in any way and the tantrums ceased very quickly. It was literally weeks.

That's what worked for me.

He'd get crabby when he was tired. That was predictable. So, if I knew he needed to be in bed at 7:30, I'd leave wherever I was so that he'd be home by 6:30.

The only exception was playing with Grandpa. He got to stay up late with Grandpa. And he never had reason to throw fits with Grandpa, because Grandpa always gave him every single thing he wanted. He'd just play and play and then sit and fall asleep.

 

[Rogue21]

My sister and her family went a couple years back. Youngest son had a melt down because he was thirsty - late June trip. Sis says she took him aside, after buying him a drink, and told him when he was ready to "join the family" they would. Otherwise, she would sit with him until the end of the day. No issues after that.

 

[aeillill]

I don't have a kid, but when we went when I was younger I never would have dared to throw a tantrum. Before we left to go my parents sat me down and told me "It's going to be hot, your feet are going to hurt, you'll have to wait patiently in the lines, so you might be miserable but if you complain you will have to sit in the hotel room ALONE while we go on all the rides without you and you will never come to Disney World again" Gotta tell you nothing put the fear in me quite like that speech, I believed them. I still fear it as a threat when we go and I'm 28.

 

[bethymouse]

Tantrums? Nah. We always knew when to rest ourselves and our kids. We never tried to rush here and there to see everything! It's just not possible w/ little ones.

 

[disneygirl1024]

My daughter did. It was terrible and embarrassing. I got after her and went back to the hotel. Kids ugh!

 

[Am I there yet]

1st trip-- daughter was 3 and at AK wanted to go on primeval whirl. I told her she was not tall enough and tried to distract her with the dig site, but I could see in her eyes it was coming. I told her if she started I would take her back to the room and she would not get to see the parade. Guess she figured I was bluffing since it was MY first time at AK too, so she started blowing up. I picked her up and left. She said "i'm sorry" 100 times on the bus ride back to the resort, but ended up at the resort in bed for a nap. Never had another Disney tantrum again. Even worked well at home-- " I would say, "Do you remember the Animal Kingdom?" and she would stop and say, "yes I do" and go onto something else.

 

[luv]

I don't have a kid, but when we went when I was younger I never would have dared to throw a tantrum. Before we left to go my parents sat me down and told me "It's going to be hot, your feet are going to hurt, you'll have to wait patiently in the lines, so you might be miserable but if you complain you will have to sit in the hotel room ALONE while we go on all the rides without you and you will never come to Disney World again" Gotta tell you nothing put the fear in me quite like that speech, I believed them. I still fear it as a threat when we go and I'm 28.

Most children who throw tantrums are two or three years old and wouldn't remember throwing the tantrum when they were an adult.

I held my breath. I don't remember doing it, but my mother told me about it later. My brother bit a stuffed animal once. My stuffed animal. He wanted to punish Mom, but he wasn't going to harm one of HIS OWN stuffed animals, lol. That was one of mom's funnier stories for us.

You should ask your parents. I will bet you they remember at least one instance of you being a brat and throwing a fit.

 

[Nemo14]

My daughter threw one once when she was about 3 and it was time to leave Chuck E Cheese. She screamed, cried, made her body as rigid as possible, etc. I picked her up,carried her to the car, bent her into her car seat, and drove her home, at which time I "explained" the error of her ways to her backside. She never again pulled that crap.

At Disney, both kids had no doubt that we would escort them out of the park if they ever tried that, so it was never an issue, and we were all having too much fun anyway. Even when my son didn't want to go on some of the scarier rides, he waited in line with us til we got to the "chicken out" door, then one of us would skip the ride and go out with him.

 

[Californian Elitist]

I don't have children, yet, but when my siblings and I were kids, we knew not to act up in public, unless we wanted the belt. My parents had no problem physically disciplining us, whether it was in public or at home. At times I remember my mom would say, "I can't wait to get you home", or "Let me find a bathroom" (so she could spank us or tap the palms of our hands with her belt there). They were never the "time out" parents. You either acted right or you got the belt or the hand.

 

[englanddg]

My kid doesn't throw tantrums. Hasn't since she was little. When she comes close, a few well placed words in a certain tone will get her to calm down.

However, she does shut down when she's upset, and becomes very stubborn, slow and...for lack of a better term...emotionally flat. She'll do what you ask of her, but she'll make it about as fun as pulling teeth.

But, she's never thrown a tantrum.

This past trip I was so fed up with how she was acting one day that we left the park and didn't go back.

 

[DisneyDebNJ]

My son never threw tantrums (I was lucky) IF he started acting up? (run when he was suppose to walk, etc) I'd just shoot him *the look*, which now at 24, he says, could turn a man into stone LOL. It wasn't until he was in his mid teens, where he would try to get an attitude..... but Mama Deb don't play that, he got over his mood quickly...

 

[Nemo14]

I still use "the look" and my kids are in their 20's!

 

[luv]

"The Look" is why my little son got to play with his Grandpa. If I told the little one No, the old one gave me The Look, lol.

I can't wait until my son has children and I get to give them every single thing they want and tell my son that he has no say.

Being a grandparent will be sooo much more fun than being a parent. My son may have won when Gramps backed him up, but next it is my turn. And, just like me, he will lose the battle when the generation before and after him team up.

 

[englanddg]

I still use "the look" and my kids are in their 20's!

Never had "the look" from my mom. For her it was saying my name in a certain tone of voice.

Yeah...I knew EXACTLY where the line was when I heard that tone...and that tone to me today (I'm in my 30s) still sends a shiver and Pavlovian style behavioral reaction from me to quiet down, reflect on my behavior and say "Yes, Ma'am"...without much more than my name being said.

 

[Mks95]

my son did at the airport, disney booked our flight and i was not expierenced enough to know better, flew to miami had 3 hour wait to fly to st louis after 10 day trip, well he wanted to be home NOW and tried opening exit doors, refused to sit in seat, screaming kicking meltdown and as i was dragging him to the bathroom started screaming 'HELP SHES TAKING ME , SHE'S NOT MY MOM' after that the security came and watched us and he still threw his fit until we got all the way home ( i tried everything and secretly wished security would have taken him...lol.) Grandpa still refuses to fly with him and its been 10 years.