Tantrums are part of growing up. How these outbursts of anger or frustration are managed, however, can impact children’s emotional development. An international team of researchers has investigated how giving children digital devices as ‘digital pacifiers’ to avoid or manage tantrums impacts children’s later anger management skills.
They found that children who were routinely given digital devices when they threw a tantrum, had more difficulties regulating their emotions. The researchers also stressed the importance of letting children experience negative emotions and the crucial role parents play in the process.
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