Is this normal for a 2 year old?

[nichsmom]

My 2 1/2 year old daughter has always been very sweet, easy going and rarely gets upset.  Lately, in the last 2 weeks, she has been very grouchy, snapping back at anyone for anything. She has started having these major screaming tantrums...nothing violent, but screaming for long periods of time.  I usually put her in her room until she can calm down a bit then explain that screaming is not allowed in our house and then I'll comfort her until she is calm.  This happens quite frequently throughout the day and I just don't get what is going on...it's like someone has taken my sweet, loving daughter and replaced her with the "tantrum queen".  Is this normal behavior?  What are some ways to help her deal with her anger when she gets to these screaming tantrums?  How should I best deal with her continual grouchy behavior?  It's really a drain to everyone in the family.
Thank You!

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

It may well be that she has begum a phase not at all unusual for a child her age. On the other hand, such things don't usually commence in such an acute way. Be sure she is OK from a medical point of view and that she is obtaining sufficient sleep. Your management of the episodes is fine with one exception. It won't help if you comfort her until she is calm. She might well derive some secondary gain from that approach, and if she does you will unwittingly be reinforcing the very behavior you want to stop. Place her in time out or in her room and leave her alone. When she has quieted down and is again calm, the time out period can stop.

[LuvMy3]

They call them the "Terrible Two's" for a reason. There is a very good, but a little dated, series of books by Holly Bennett that gives an overview for different developmental stages.

Ear and throat infections, too, can cause crankiness, as can food allergies.