Not all tantrums are the same. Some are protests. Some are releases. Some are emotional reroutes. When parents know the type, they can respond with less frustration and more impact. This breakdown explains what’s happening in your child’s brain, why it matters that we understand and are able to recognize the type of tantrum, and what parents can do to actually help our kids return to equilibrium, learn from the root of the cause, and develop emotional intelligence, regulation skills and resilience.

Most parents wait for the explosion. But the secret to stopping tantrums isn’t found in the chaos—it’s in the quiet, almost moments before it. This one shift can change everything about how your child learns to regulate.