Teaching Children to Manage Anger

One of the things that children need to learn is how to manage their emotions. Anger is a healthy, normal emotion to feel, but many kids have problems coping with their anger in productive ways. Here are three things you can do to help them learn anger management skills.

Differentiate Feelings and Behavior

It can be hard for kids to experience feelings of anger without acting out. It’s important to teach kids to label their emotions so that they can express their anger verbally without using aggressive behaviors. Teach your child to control their actions by saying things like, “It is okay to be angry, but it is not okay to hit people.”

Set a Good Example

Our children look up to us, so they model our behaviors. For your child to develop good anger management skills, they need you to model good behavior for them. They will not learn to manage their anger productively if they see you losing your temper.

If you do lose your temper in front of them, explain why that was wrong. “I am sorry that I was yelling when I was mad. I should have taken a walk to calm down instead of raising my voice,” is an excellent way to explain anger to children.

Teach Healthy Coping Skills

When your kids express anger in aggressive ways, teach them a healthier way to cope with their anger. Say things like:

·         “Next time, use your words.”

·         “Walk away when you feel angry instead of hitting.”

·         “Is there a better way to deal with this?”

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