Survey: Dads Have (Slightly) More Control When it Comes to Dealing with Tantrums

A new survey of parents showed that dads have a (very slight) edge over moms when it comes to controlling toddler tantrums

Moms, here’s the sign you’ve been looking for. A new survey showed that dads have an edge over moms when it comes to taking care of child meltdowns, so next time your toddler has a tantrum, just call on your partner to take care of it.

The survey, conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Baby Magic, asked a series of questions of 1,000 moms and 1,000 dads with kids ages four and under. Their findings will make you feel a lot better about dealing with tantrums—including the fact that 45 percent of respondents said dads are better at tantrum control than moms (compared to 42 percent who said moms are best).

The survey also showed that the average parent compromises with their toddler four times per week, with the most common reasons for bargaining being bedtime, bathtime, and morning routines. And before you feel bad about your toddler having a meltdown (especially if it happens somewhere public), know that you’re far from alone—74 percent of the parents surveyed said their kid had had at least one tantrum in the last month.

Even more relatable are the reasons the parents shared for their kids’ meltdowns: “Because he couldn’t fit a toy in his toy car,” “his shirt wasn’t pants,” “I wouldn’t let them play in the toilet,” and “I gave her spaghetti and she doesn’t like the color red so she refused to eat it,” just to name a few. It just goes to show there truly is no such thing as a logical, rational toddler—something that can be helpful to keep in mind next time they start screaming.

And in case you needed even more news to make you feel better about whatever your child’s latest tantrum was over, know that the survey showed that 76 percent of parents admit they’ve made mistakes with their kids. Moms are more likely to feel guilty when they’ve made a mistake than dads (of course), at 59 percent versus 44 percent. But dads can teach us all a lesson in keeping a cool head—30 percent of them say they’re able to step back and return feeling refocused, compared to just 18 percent of moms.

“Parenting is messy, but oftentimes the beauty is found in the imperfections, especially when you have a village to help,” said Hazel Smith, Senior Marketing Manager at Baby Magic.