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Serving Children and Families in the greater Omaha area including Bellevue, Gretna, Council Bluffs, Papillion, LaVista, and Fremont;
in the Overland Park - Johnson County, Kansas  area including Olathe, Lenexa, Leawood, Shawnee and Kansas City Kansas;
and in the Kansas City, Missouri area including Independence, Blue Springs, and Lee's Summit.
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kids-inc@juno.com * (402) 330-4014 (Iowa/Nebraska) * (913) 323-6550 (Kansas/Missouri)
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Omaha, NE  68144
(402) 334-2930 fax

7270 West 98th Terrace, Suite 105
Overland Park, KS  66212
(913) 323-6550
Kids Inc
Helping Children Develop
Find answers to questions already asked.  Click on a question below to see
the complete question and answer given by a Kids Inc. professional.





  • How do I know if my child's tantrums are normal or his fits of anger are a
    bigger problem or concern?

    Answer -- provided by Stacie Spies Matz, Psy D, Licensed Clinical Psychologist
    Temper tantrums are a common behavior in preschool children and usually
    begin around 2 or 3 years of age and start to decline by age 4.  Tantrum
    behaviors generally last for about a year.  Children in the early preschool
    years begin to express their anger in tantrums by lying on the floor,
    kicking, screaming, crying, and occasionally holding their breath.
    Tantrums are a natural expression of anger, especially in children who are
    not able to express themselves verbally.  Also, a child's ability to tolerate
    frustration and his/her patience level contribute to tantrum behaviors as
    does his/her ability to understand another person's point of view.

    Children throw tantrums for a variety of reasons, some of which may
    require professional help.  Some children throw tantrums due to family
    problems, inconsistent parenting, marital problems, emotional problems for
    the parent and/or child, sibling rivalry, speech and language problems, or
    being hungry or tired.  Seeking help from a professional can help provide
    new strategies and/or techniques to manage tantrum behaviors by helping
    to decrease their frequency and/or intensity.

    Sometimes, temper tantrums in preschool are the beginning of patterns
    that lead to children becoming increasingly more disobedient, rebellious,
    and aggressive as they grow older.  If tantrums last longer than 20
    minutes, occur multiple times a day or per week, and the child is not able
    to calm down either by distraction, time outs, limits or consequences, this
    may be cause for concern.  If tantrums last for up to 30 minutes to an
    hour, and occur multiple times a week and/or per day, seek professional
    help.  A professional can help with both behavioral strategies that can curb
    angry outbursts for parent/caregiver and child, as well as help both the
    parent/caregiver and child gain a better understanding about the roots of
    the child's anger.

    In summary, most tantrums and angry outbursts come and go as children
    grow and their ability to use language and solve problems using words
    increases.  Occasionally, fits of anger and violence persist into elementary
    school and may signal a more serious problem that may require the
    assistance of a physician, psychologist and/or therapist.
Parenting Questions and Answers