A Drawing a Day Keeps the Tantrums Away

Well, sometimes…

Some of the latest drawings I made for my daughter. (No, no, you didn’t read that wrong… I drew these, not her. And let me tell you, I have improved tremendously since I started drawing these. You wouldn’t believe how bad my first attempts were). | Drawings by Nanie Hurley 🌿

I’m not the only parent in the world trying to find new ways to prevent tantrums. If nothing else, I know my husband is trying to do the same.

The internet and the specialists swear temper tantrums are developmentally normal and can even worsen between ages three and four before becoming less common. However normal and expected they are, though, I’m not built for them, let me tell you that. I try my best to keep my cool, support my child (children, when both girls lose it at the same time), and not have a tantrum myself while they’re happening.

I must admit I’m looking forward to the day when tantrums are a thing of the past, and my daughters can just tell me what’s wrong and how I can help them. Meanwhile, I try to navigate them as best as I can, especially when it comes to school-related outbursts (and I make sure to never peel the banana without treble-checking).

My eldest girl is four, and she’s been in Montessori school for the past year and a half. Some days, she loves it, while others, she absolutely hates it. Although her tantrums are getting shorter and less frequent, school is quite often a trigger for her.

After trying several different things, we finally found the one thing that (mostly) keeps the tantrums away: a special drawing mummy…