Self-Control is not easy to impart to kids, most of them want immediate reward, immediate satisfaction of their needs and their wants.  They throw tantrums when they don't get what they want and poor parents usually just cave in.  It is important for the child to understand that not all his wishes will come true, that the world is not dedicated to him solely.  Failure to learn self-control in childhood will lead to difficult adolescence and adulthood.   It is essential to communicate the unpleasant consequences of the lack of self-control to the child.  One way to teach self-control to a toddler is by playing.  Encourage the child to build the blocks on top of each other as high as possible, then pretend to be the bad person and mess up the blocks.  Do it over and over again, until the child stops getting angry and just ignores you.  Try to purposely create situation that will frustrate him and see how he reacts, then try to improve his reactions.  This kind of situational staging takes patience and time. However, it will be invaluable when the child has to face this type of situation for real and when you are not around to help.

Teaching the child to ask nicely, to be more respectful, to be friendly and positive when dealing with others will help him develop self-esteem and self-control.  It is also helpful to use stories and actual life occurrences to illustrate and imprint in the child's young mind what will happen if one does not have self-control, like being angry, hurting others, stealing or taking things without asking permission, eating too much, spending too much, etc.  To some extent, temper is inborn, but parents should strive hard to improve a child's temper early on and if needed to seek professional help as early as possible.