3 Tips for Teaching a Child to Deal With Anger
By: William Giannouloudis
It’s easy to assume that children live an easy and carefree life, but in reality, life’s stressors can rear their ugly heads in a child’s life, causing him or her to act out. So, how do you productively handle your child’s intense feelings?
The goal is not to suppress angry feelings in children but to accept them and help channel them to positive and constructive ends. Identify your child’s strengths and build upon them, showing children acceptable ways of expressing their feelings. Here are three ways you can do so.
Emphasize the good
Every child must be taught what is right and what is wrong. Instead of focusing on punishment, respond to positive efforts and reinforce good behavior. Tell the child what behaviors please you. For example, thank him or her for sitting quietly while you’re on the phone, or show affirmation when he or she shares with a sibling.
Offer physical outlets
Give your child an opening to take his or her mindset off the anger and push it into something more beneficial to them. When working with a child with behavioral issues, our clinicians take him or her to a park or a gym, allowing …