"Frozen" actress Kristen Bell has two toddlers with husband Dax Shepard. Like all parents with young kids, she has experienced and dealt with the tantrums of Lincoln, 3 and Delta, 2. The star's attitude towards their public meltdowns, however, might just help other parents learn to deal with it better.
Speaking with Babble, Bell implied she doesn't let the toddler tantrums affect her. She also doesn't feel embarrassed if one of her daughters act up in public because, for her, the child is only behaving as she should be.
"She's going to act the way a child acts," the actress said. "I'm not going to let that reflect on me or bring me down," she added.
Most moms instinctively try to pacify and calm their toddler when the crying fits start. Then they grow wary of the stares and whispers from the people around them, distracting their focus on the child.
Bell said, however, those feelings of shame or embarrassment because a child is throwing a tantrum only happen when moms allow these emotions to overcome and define them. She cited the famous Eleanor Roosevelt to explain what she means: "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."
"The Good Place" mom expressed this doesn't mean one has to downplay what's happening. It's different, however, when "the negative feeling starts to own you," she said.
Her message is about avoiding self-loathing and self-blaming and focusing on self-esteem for both the parents and the child. Psychologist Kirstin Bouse believes the actress has to be applauded for her mindset about toddler tantrums, Stuff New Zealand reports.
The experts agree toddler tantrums shouldn't be regarded as a result of bad parenting. Parents need to remind themselves that children at this age are still learning to deal with their emotions as well and it won't help if they're more concerned about public embarrassment.
