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Is that little megaphone getting the better of you? First, rule out hunger, fatigue and dirty diapers. Then if your child is younger than
one year old, try rocking and making white noise – a “shhh” sound – to re-create the environment inside the womb, says Dr Harvey
Karp, an assistant paediatrics professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. For toddlers, your best hope is to join them where
they are: in the Stone Age. “Toddlers really are like cavemen,” says Dr Karp. “They’re impulsive and primitive. You have to coax
them back to civilisation.”

1 BE A COPYCAT
“How we say things is very important,” says Dr Karp. Little ones use a lot of pointing and grunting, especially when they’re angry. Mimic a bit of their gesturing and they’ll see that you understand.

2 REPEAT, REPEAT
It may take several repetitions before a distraught child even hears you – and then a few more for him or her to calm down enough to understand, says Dr Karp. When talking, make short statements to prevent the child from being overwhelmed by what you’re saying.

3 WALK AWAY
“Some children can’t calm down when they’re being watched,” says Dr Karp. Walk around the corner for 30 seconds. “It’s not punishment or abandonment; it simply removes the audience,” he says. And yes, you do have to go back. In fact, you may have to repeat this sequence several times, says Dr Karp.