Three Strategies to Help your Little Hot Head Chill Out
Anger is neither good nor bad; it’s just a normal feeling. How we express our anger is what is most critical. It is an important emotion and can actually be helpful in creating motivation. It can also be dangerous when expressed in an unhealthy way and can lead to bad decisions. You’ve probably heard ideas like telling your child to “count to ten” or “go scream in a pillow”. These are neither practical nor helpful strategies, so here are a few ideas that will help you and your child both manage and express anger is a healthy productive way
ACKNOWLEDGE & VALIDATE
For your child’s emotional health it is essential that they process their anger, otherwise it will keep recycling and resurfacing. They won’t be able to move past the emotion. To do this, simply acknowledge them by reflecting back what it is they are saying or paraphrasing. You can also empathize by sharing what you are noticing and saying something like, “Wow, you sound frustrated” or “You look angry”. Telling your child how they feel, “You are really angry” is not as helpful, because when you tell them how they are feeling it can often contribute to a power struggle. And, nobody likes to be told how they are feeling!
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To finish viewing and download the full list of tips, visit the Huffington Post: Parents website: https://buff.ly/2mLmNAU.
