Note: This is the fourth article in our series around our travel philosophy, Be F.L.E.X.I.B.L.E. In this article, we breakdown what the 1st E in Be F.L.E.X.I.B.L.E. stands for. If you want to first get an overview on Be F.L.E.X.I.B.L.E. itself, please click here.
When Natasha would get cranky after a long day walking around a city, it wasn’t a moment to fight with one another. She was simply tired and needed a break. Empathizing help us realize what the other was going through, allowing us to help each other if we got cranky, “hangry,” or ill.
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If one of us needed a break, the other would take over the heavy lifting or entertaining our son. Often, AJ would take Aarav to a park to play and gave Natasha a chance to be alone and rest when she ran out of steam.
The same empathy should be applied to your children. Instead of focusing on a tantrum, focus on what could be causing it. Is your child hungry? Tired? Hurt? Bored? Rather than stress or get upset, think of what would make you feel better and offer the same to your child or significant other. Empathy can save you from arguments, and shorten tantrum times for children.
We have dealt with tantrums in all kinds of situations and found many creative ways to overcome them. We share our nearly foolproof tantrum blockers in an entire chapter dedicated to it (Tales Of Tantrums And Many Cities) as well as ways to empathize and support each other as you travel together with your young children throughout our book.
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