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 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 non-problematic 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 and one (95.3%) parents reported that their children had at least one tantrum behavior, of which verbal were the most common (94.5%). One hundred and eleven (55.2%) children had tantrums defined as problematic: exhibiting aggressive physical behavior, duration >15 min, frequency > 3 days/week. The mean emotional burden scores of the children's problematic and non-problematic 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.