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RESOURCES - Articles
Controlling the Angry Child
Anger is a normal emotion that
can promote understanding and cooperation between family
members and peers. But for some individuals, anger that gets
out of control can rule and ruin their lives. According to
Foundations Behavioral Health in Doylestown, PA, many of
us feel ill-equipped to cope with this complicated emotion.
Anger can become almost an illness in and of itself. If
anger becomes the chief way a child communicates, he or she
is likely to go through life having difficulties with others.
Problems that Cause Anger
Children often use anger as a way to cope with low self-esteem,
family problems, rejection and school failure. Anger can
also be a symptom for many psychological and physical illnesses,
including Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD),
conduct disorder, depression, panic disorder, chemical
dependency, epilepsy, Tourette's syndrome, or brain damage.
Parents need to teach their children
alternative ways of expressing frustration other than anger.
Children who do
lose their temper repeatedly should take a “time out”.
A “time out” allows children to sit in one place
for several minutes and try and control their anger. Another
strategy, “restitution”, helps a child experience
firsthand the damage their anger has done. With restitution,
children must ask the injured person how he felt about the
incident and do something to pay him back.
Negative Anger
Children often resort to anger, a basic negative behavior,
to get their parents to pay attention to them. They get
into the habit of using their anger to get what they want.
When a parent easily gives in to a child's anger, displays
of anger are very likely to become the way these children
try to assert their wishes.
Parents need to get to the root of the problem and teach
the child to express anger, frustration, hurt and disappointed
in a constructive way. You can determine if your child has
problems with anger and learn specific coping strategies
to deal with your child's anger safely and productively.
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