Ten minutes in and we were both crying: my toddler’s first tantrum was the most awful hour of my life as a new parent

‘I am convinced no simple solution to stop a tantrum exists. My coping mechanism is simply knowing they end.’ Photograph: Image Bank

The first time my toddler threw a tantrum, her head spun 360 degrees, flames replaced her pupils, the walls rumbled and she chanted a satanic curse in Latin. Well, at least that’s how I remember it.

I wouldn’t give her p-o-p-c-o-r-n. It was tucked away, high in the top cupboard, and as much as I pretended not to know what Joey wanted, she knew I was holding out. Her face went red and her lungs erupted.