Handling Anger
Anger is a difficult emotion for children to handle, and it sometimes leads to undesirable behaviors. But anger is a natural emotional response for everyone, especially for children who are learning to recognize and control their feelings. Here are a few tips you may keep in mind when teaching your child how to manage their anger.
Anger is natural, expect it
When your child gets angry, it doesn’t mean that is one of their personality traits. Children naturally have a lot to be angry about when they are taking their first developmental steps.
A lot of what they try to do ends in failure, because these are all new experiences for your child. Not being able to reach a goal is frustrating for most people, but almost every goal has so many obstacles for children.
Parents and teachers are bigger than them as well, so when they are told to do something they don’t want to, children have no option but to do it. Their innate passion for expression and discovery oftentimes are held back because of their age. As a result, children tend to hold more anger in their younger years.
If you can accept that your child will almost always have something to be mad about, handling the situation can be easier.
Showing emotions, not actions
Every person has the right to feel however they do; emotions are an extension of our thoughts and beliefs. You should not discount how your child feels, but how your child expresses their feelings is a different story.
Acting out, especially with violence, is not a positive behavior. You would not want your child to react in such a way every time they become frustrated. Therefore, it may help to teach your child to put a name and reason behind their emotions.
Taking a pause and using their words to express their anger is a much more constructive way for children to handle emotions. This brings clarity that can be used to find a solution.
Set clear boundaries
Children should understand at a very early stage that there are consequences to acting out of anger.
Explain to your child how you expect them to behave when they are dealing with anger, both in the house and in public, and that being violent is unacceptable. Reinforce the good behaviors and treat your child with respect, but also discourage the bad behaviors.
This principle should apply to you as well. Modeling control and using words will help show your children how they should handle their anger properly. Whenever your child is upset but explains their self appropriately, make sure to truly listen to their complaint and try to find a solution.
How Cranium Teaches Children to Handle Anger
At Cranium Academy, our mission is to ignite an educational revolution, which prepares our students to become the best critical thinkers and leaders of their generation. We do this by teaching students to reflect on their feelings and find positive solutions.
