Final answer:
To handle a toddler's temper tantrums, a mother should appear to ignore them. A time-out, where the child is removed from the activity without receiving attention, can be an effective strategy. Rewards or mimicry are not recommended as they can reinforce negative behavior.
Step-by-step explanation:
The method I would advise a toddler's mother to handle temper tantrums is A)appear to ignore them. When a child demonstrates an undesirable behavior, like temper tantrums, it's important to ensure that the response doesn't reinforce the behavior. During a tantrum, the child is seeking attention, and by ignoring the tantrum, the caregiver is not reinforcing the behavior with the desired attention.
Using a time-out as a form of negative punishment can be effective. The child should be removed from the desirable activity for a short duration. The recommended length of a time-out is typically one minute per year of the child's age. Ignoring the child during the time-out is crucial because any form of attention may inadvertently reinforce the negative behavior. After the time-out, positive reinforcement such as a hug or a kind word can be helpful in showing the child that they are not being rejected but that their behavior was unacceptable.
Other options like promising a reward for stopping the tantrum (B), distracting the child with a toy (C), or mimicking the child's behavior (D) could actually reinforce negative behaviors or are not considered developmentally appropriate strategies.