Characteristics of temper tantrums in 1–6-year-old children and impact on caregivers
Background Temper tantrums are common behavioral difficulties in children. Although they are generally considered a normal part of development, certain characteristics— such as aggression, prolonged duration, and frequent occurrences—have been linked to psychological issues and can negatively impact...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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The Korean Pediatric Society
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics |
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| Online Access: | http://www.e-cep.org/upload/pdf/cep-2024-00766.pdf |
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| author | Warangkana Prutipaisan Issarapa Chunsuwan Tippawan Hansakunachai Paskorn Sritipsukho |
| author_facet | Warangkana Prutipaisan Issarapa Chunsuwan Tippawan Hansakunachai Paskorn Sritipsukho |
| author_sort | Warangkana Prutipaisan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background Temper tantrums are common behavioral difficulties in children. Although they are generally considered a normal part of development, certain characteristics— such as aggression, prolonged duration, and frequent occurrences—have been linked to psychological issues and can negatively impact both the child and their caregivers. Purpose To study the prevalence and characteristics of temper tantrums in children aged 1–6 years at daycare and in kindergarten in Thailand as well as the impact of problematic and nonproblematic tantrums on their caregivers’ emotional well-being. Methods This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in 2021. The main caregivers of the participants completed self-reported questionnaires that collected their demographic information and the temper tantrum characteristics and impacts on the caregivers’ emotions. Results Data from 211 children were included in this study. The mean child age was 4.4±1.2 years. Two hundred one parents (95.3%) reported that their children had at least one tantrum behavior, of which verbal were the most common (94.5%). One hundred and 11 children (55.2%) had tantrums defined as problematic: exhibiting aggressive physical behavior, duration >15 minutes, frequency >3 days/wk. The mean emotional burden scores of the children’s problematic and nonproblematic temper tantrums on their parents were 23.3±8.4 and 17.7±8.3 (maximum, 55; P=0.001), respectively, showing a statistically significant difference. Conclusion Tantrums are common in children aged 1–6 years, but their expression varies. Problematic tantrums were reported for approximately half of the children and significantly impacted their caregivers’ emotions. Therefore, children with problematic tantrums and their families should receive assistance. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4191a744f1c94e8e894fc443242adae2 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2713-4148 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | The Korean Pediatric Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics |
| spelling | doaj-art-4191a744f1c94e8e894fc443242adae22025-02-07T07:38:39ZengThe Korean Pediatric SocietyClinical and Experimental Pediatrics2713-41482025-02-0168217017710.3345/cep.2024.0076620125555750Characteristics of temper tantrums in 1–6-year-old children and impact on caregiversWarangkana Prutipaisan0Issarapa Chunsuwan1Tippawan Hansakunachai2Paskorn Sritipsukho3 Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathumthani, Thailand Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathumthani, Thailand Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathumthani, Thailand Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathumthani, ThailandBackground Temper tantrums are common behavioral difficulties in children. Although they are generally considered a normal part of development, certain characteristics— such as aggression, prolonged duration, and frequent occurrences—have been linked to psychological issues and can negatively impact both the child and their caregivers. Purpose To study the prevalence and characteristics of temper tantrums in children aged 1–6 years at daycare and in kindergarten in Thailand as well as the impact of problematic and nonproblematic tantrums on their caregivers’ emotional well-being. Methods This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in 2021. The main caregivers of the participants completed self-reported questionnaires that collected their demographic information and the temper tantrum characteristics and impacts on the caregivers’ emotions. Results Data from 211 children were included in this study. The mean child age was 4.4±1.2 years. Two hundred one parents (95.3%) reported that their children had at least one tantrum behavior, of which verbal were the most common (94.5%). One hundred and 11 children (55.2%) had tantrums defined as problematic: exhibiting aggressive physical behavior, duration >15 minutes, frequency >3 days/wk. The mean emotional burden scores of the children’s problematic and nonproblematic temper tantrums on their parents were 23.3±8.4 and 17.7±8.3 (maximum, 55; P=0.001), respectively, showing a statistically significant difference. Conclusion Tantrums are common in children aged 1–6 years, but their expression varies. Problematic tantrums were reported for approximately half of the children and significantly impacted their caregivers’ emotions. Therefore, children with problematic tantrums and their families should receive assistance.http://www.e-cep.org/upload/pdf/cep-2024-00766.pdftemper tantrumpreschoolproblematic tantrumparental impactemotional burden |
| spellingShingle | Warangkana Prutipaisan Issarapa Chunsuwan Tippawan Hansakunachai Paskorn Sritipsukho Characteristics of temper tantrums in 1–6-year-old children and impact on caregivers Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics temper tantrum preschool problematic tantrum parental impact emotional burden |
| title | Characteristics of temper tantrums in 1–6-year-old children and impact on caregivers |
| title_full | Characteristics of temper tantrums in 1–6-year-old children and impact on caregivers |
| title_fullStr | Characteristics of temper tantrums in 1–6-year-old children and impact on caregivers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Characteristics of temper tantrums in 1–6-year-old children and impact on caregivers |
| title_short | Characteristics of temper tantrums in 1–6-year-old children and impact on caregivers |
| title_sort | characteristics of temper tantrums in 1 6 year old children and impact on caregivers |
| topic | temper tantrum preschool problematic tantrum parental impact emotional burden |
| url | http://www.e-cep.org/upload/pdf/cep-2024-00766.pdf |
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