Teaching Anger Management and Emotional Control to Children

These days, anger management is a hot topic among educators. More and more, we see angry students committing acts of violence against classmates. Educating the public on the topic of anger management is the best way to help children manage their anger in an appropriate way.

What is anger?

Angry feelings are normal emotional reactions to daily stresses in our lives that range from irritated to enraged. It's natural for children to experience emotions of anger but it's critical to teach them proper coping mechanisms so that they do not express these feelings in an uncontrollable manner.

The goal as a parent is not to completely stop the angry emotion since they are hardwired into our brain. The goal is to teach the children to develop self-control and make appropriate choices regarding how to handle these feelings.

Strategies for teach children to handling anger appropriately

1. Lead by example - Research shows that children model their parents so if the parent blows up in fits of rage in front of a child. The child will learn to use anger as a coping mechanism for their situations in their lives.

2. Teach empathy and tolerance - Empathy is the ability to walk a mile in someone else's shoes. Children that understand the feelings of others deal better with disagreements with other children

3. Remain calm - Yelling at angry children to control themselves will only increase the intensity of the outburst. Remaining calm yourself will assist the child caught by the anger bee.

4. Use positive self-talk - Teach children to stay in control by saying affirmations. Affirmations are simple positive messages that the child can say to themselves in stressful situations. For example, here's a few that a child could learn: "Stop and calm down", "Take a deep breath", "Stay in control", or "I can handle this". Suggest a few to your child and practice it with them. The more you practice it with them the more likely they will use it during an anger driven situation.