Self-regulation

Children experience ups and downs when they are trying to control their behaviours and manage their emotions. This self-regulation, or emotional regulation, can be defined as the ability to control emotions and subsequent behaviour and to do this when faced with different situations. 2 year olds can find this challenging as they want independence, but they also want immediate satisfaction. A child of 2 to 3 years old will have difficulty waiting or negotiating and will have limited ability to regulate feelings or associated actions. Consequently they may show frustration physically, such as hitting and pushing.

Additionally, a child at 2 years old may become quite rebellious when their plans and desires are stopped. If their attention is focused on playing with cars, then it's common to have a tantrum when it’s time to leave the house. Some 2 year olds will simply not do a requested task as opposed to saying no. For example, when asked to wash their hands the child may simply ignore the request. They are more likely to respond to certain requests, such as care of a toy or when safety is in question, than a request for self-care such as "You need to get dressed now".

By 4 to 5 years old a child’s intellectual and language development helps them regulate and communicate their feelings and wishes. Therefore, tantrums should become less common.