Mom’s simple trick for defusing tantrums is going viral because it works
If toddler tantrums are testing your patience, try doing zoomies. Not only will your kid stop crying, but you also feel calmer, according to one Georgia mom.
Zoomies, or frenetic random activity periods (FRAPS), is the term used to describe when dogs suddenly start racing around to burn off energy.
“POV: This is how you gentle parent when your toddler is on the verge of a meltdown … zoomies!” Alivia Cromartie captioned a TikTok video that has been seen more than 15 million times. Watch the hack in action on Cromaterie's Instagram:
In the clip, Cromartie’s 18-month-old daughter, Icey, is visibly distressed and crying. But Cromartie, 26, quickly defuses the situation by running around in circles. The little girl's sour mood lifts and she begins laughing. The video ends with Cromartie and a smiley Icey sharing a big hug, that brought many viewers to tears.
“Works every time,” Cromartie wrote.
Cromartie tells TODAY.com that Icey was “cranky” because she was ready to eat.
“Icey gets upset when her food takes too long,” she explains.
Luckily, Cromartie knew exactly what to do before the tantrum escalated.
“I’ve done zoomies in a grocery store. I’ll run up and down the aisles. I don’t care who sees,” she shares. “Distracting my kid is the key."
Cromartie adds that she's received many messages from followers who have tried the hack with their own children.
"They're like, 'it works!'" she says. "I think people are surprised. But it really does work."
"This is helpful for when they are older because they just think to themself that they need to take a run to relax instead of having the meltdown,” one person remarked in the comments on TikTok.
Added another, "Meltdown averted…and cardio. Goals."
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This article was originally published on TODAY.com
