Was that a Tantrum or a Meltdown? Learning the Difference

Emotional outbursts in kids can be hard. Like really hard. Both on the child and their parent or caretaker. When us adults talk about these emotional outbursts, the terms tantrum and meltdown tend to get used interchangeably. I know I did.

But tantrums and meltdowns are different.

Sometimes tantrums and meltdowns can look similar, but they have a different cause and therefore a child should be supported differently depending on which they are having.

Let’s talk about what they have in common and then how to help you spot the differences.