The Final Solution

I understand that perfectly. I wouldn't have dared with my father either!

Oh my, a wife that throws tantrums? I wouldn't know how to deal with that at all! I feel for you.

Well, I do think all youngsters go through phases, and one of them is seeing how much control they can generate for themselves in the family dynamic. It's important that they quickly learn how tantrums won't achieve any control on their part. Thanks, M.L.

So true. Every parent has to make a concerted effort to find a way to "nip it in the bud" as quickly as possible. Ours was isolation. See comment below.

When he tried it in a store, we did the same thing. I can recall standing at the door and saying to someone, "Just a minute, please, my son is in there throwing a tantrum!" They would smile and wait patiently until I retrieved him. It must have worked, for he is a very successful even-tempered fifty-four year old now!

I understand completely, Connie. We learned how to solve the problem rather nicely. When he would throw a tantrum, we would put him in the bathroom and tell him to enjoy himself. Of course, we stood outside the door, and very soon the tantrum would stop because it was no fun to throw one without an audience. He soon learned the only thing a tantrum got him was isolation. It worked.