Anger Management

Dealing with anger is not a skill we are born with. Anger is an emotion that each one of us encounters many times in our life and it can turn ugly and hurtful very fast. Everyone deals with this powerful emotion in their own way. If we encounter an angry adult we may watch to see how they deal with the issue and we can often choose to not get involved. As parents it is important for us to realize what is going on with our children and not overlook the angry child. There are various ways to deal with a child that is angry but it is just as important to help the child learn to deal with their emotions.

The way we respond to this emotion is learned and taught at a very early age. It is important to send your child the right message about what is appropriate. It will be much easier to learn as children because even though we can change the way we deal with anger as an adult, it will be a lot of work.

It is best to teach anger management in children at a very early age. But be careful here, in order to help a child deal effectively with their anger you need to have control of your own.

It might be hard to understand why a child would be so angry that it interferes with the way he lives his life. Anger issues can be as difficult to deal with at any age and the first thing to do is get a medical opinion. Make sure there is not a medical reason for the behavior. Medical or not you will still need to deal with situations as they arise.

1. It is much easier to teach a child something by setting a good example.

2. It is important to recognize their positive qualities and reinforce their weaker ones with praise, encouragement and support while they learn to master each life skill.

3. Children cannot always relay their feelings, they might say they are mad when they are really angry or hurt. Open the door for conversation and help the child understand what they are feeling.

4. A child is not mature enough to take on the problems of adults but their issues are very important to them.

Ways To Help An Angry Child Learn Anger Management

1. Overlook the little things (once in a while) but make sure the child knows you are allowing him the opportunity to modify his behavior

2. Time outs can be a punishment to the adult as much as the child, I prefer to redirect. I find this tactic helpful for people of any age but it doesn't always work.

3. Teach a child to be empathetic by focusing on the feelings of the victim

4. Discuss the object of frustration and discuss options

5. Recognize the frustration and empathize but, reinforce the importance of self control and choices

6. Sometimes it is best to start a child thinking about the consequences the actions will have on his future. No recess tomorrow, no bike, phone etc... In order for this to work the child needs to know that he can depend on you to follow through and help them calm down.

7. Teach a child to deep breathe when he is upset. This skill will strengthen their lungs as well as help them distress.