My child is normally very friendly but has been getting very aggressive of late. He bites, at times hits & throws things on the floor. We have recently appointed a nanny & he mostly seems happy with her but gets extremely agitated at times throwing tantrums. He also teething & I am trying to wean him to bottle. Even though we have been taking it as the normal adjustment period but I would request a confirmation in the case. And tips on how to handle the situation.

Dr. Prashant Kumar SinghPediatrician13yrs exp

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You didn't mention the age of the child, generally at 1-2 years of age children tend to get aggressive, this is known as Temper Tantrums. Have to carefully handle this situation. Don't scold or hit the child. Avoiding Tantrums Try to prevent tantrums from happening in the first place, whenever possible. Here are some ideas that may help: Give plenty of positive attention. Get in the habit of catching your child being good. Reward your little one with praise and attention for positive behavior. Try to give toddlers some control over little things. Offer minor choices such as" Do you want orange juice or apple juice? Or" Do you want to brush your teeth before or after taking a bath? This way, you aren't asking" Do you want to brush your teeth now? ? which inevitably will be answered" no. Keep off-limits objects out of sight and out of reach. This makes struggles less likely. Obviously, this isn't always possible, especially outside of the home where the environment can't be controlled. Distract your child. Take advantage of your little one's short attention span by offering something else in place of what they can't have. Start a new activity to replace the frustrating or forbidden one. Or simply change the environment. Take your toddler outside or inside or move to a different room. Help kids learn new skills and succeed. Help kids learn to do things. Praise them to help them feel proud of what they can do. Also, start with something simple before moving on to more challenging tasks. Consider the request carefully when your child wants something. Is it outrageous? Maybe it isn't. Choose your battles; accommodate when you can. Know your child's limits. If you know your toddler is tired, it's not the best time to go grocery shopping or try to squeeze in one more errand. If a safety issue is involved and a toddler repeats the forbidden behavior after being told to stop, use a time-out or hold the child firmly for several minutes. Be consistent. Don't give in on safety issues. Tantrum Tactics Most important, keep your cool when responding to a tantrum. Don't complicate the problem with your own frustration or anger. Remind yourself that your job is helping your child learn to calm down. So you need to be calm, too. Your actions set an example for your child. Hitting and spanking don't help. And they send the message that using force and physical punishment is OK. That can result in more negative behaviors over the long run. Instead, have enough self-control for both of you. Tantrums should be handled differently depending on why your child is upset. Sometimes, you may need to provide comfort. Other times, its best to ignore an outburst and distract your child with a new activity. If your child is tired or hungry, it's time for a nap or a snack. If a tantrum happens after your child is refused something, stay calm and don't give a lot of explanations for why your child can't have what he wants. Try to find something he can have. Move on to another activity with your child. Kids who are in danger of hurting themselves or others during a tantrum should be taken to a quiet, safe place to calm down. This also applies to tantrums in public places. Preschoolers and older kids are more likely to use tantrums to get their way if they've learned that this behavior works. Once kids have started school, it's appropriate to send them to their rooms to cool off. Rather than setting a specific time limit, tell your child to stay in the room until he or she regains control. This is empowering ? kids can affect the outcome by their own actions, and thus gain a sense of control that was lost during the tantrum. However, if the time-out is for negative behavior (such as hitting) in addition to a tantrum, set a time limit. 

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