Tantrum. It’s the seven-letter word of parenting. Every young child has them and every parent feels baffled by what to do when they happen. When your toddler is in the midst of a full-on fist-pounding, red-faced, toy-throwing meltdown, it can seem as though there is no way to communicate with them until the storm passes. But the reality is that when your kid is throwing a temper tantrum, they actually are communicating with you and the way that you handle their big emotions communicates something just as important to your child.