31 Aug 2023

Learning to de-escalate tantrums and other challenging behaviour

From Nine To Noon, 11:25 am on 31 August 2023
Upset child

Photo: Pexels

Are you struggling with your child's tantrums?

Michael Hempseed is encouraging parents to rethink tantrums and anger, and instead of punishing a child for lashing out, he says it's vital to understand the root cause of the behaviour.

Michael Hempseed is the director of Frontiers of Hope, a specialist mental health service in Christchurch, and has worked with Dame Sue Bagshaw for many years at Te Tahi Youth, the youth health centre that she founded.

Together they have written Calming Your Child: De-escalating Tantrums, Anxiety, Aggression and Other Challenging Behaviours.

Kathryn talks to Michael about their tips for de-escalating tantrums, as well as exploring the possible causes behind problem-behaviour, such as anxiety, sensory processing issues, ADHD, and autism