The most effective tool for staving off a tantrum? No, it isn't YouTube Kids as a distraction, or ice cream as a bribery offer, or a shower as a place to lock yourself in until the wails of "But I wanted to eat my soup with chopsticks!" subside. Instead, to help your kid get a handle on his emotions in the middle of a meltdown, you may just need a pen and some paper.

As even the most mild-tempered kids will occasionally lose their crap in the lolly aisle or while leaving the playground, most parents have dealt with a tantrum or two. We've all developed our own personal strategies for dealing: Ignoring, giving timeouts or placating. But what if your kid's freak-out isn't a standard tantrum? What if it's a sensory meltdown?