Smart Parent - Dealing with Anger

----------------------------------------------------------
Do not teach your children never to be angry; teach them how to be angry. ~Lyman Abbott

I love this quote! One of the best tools we can give our kids is the tool to understand and manage their anger. Here are a couple of quick tricks.

1. Teach your child to identify their anger, what they say in their head, what they feel in their body. Each child may be a little different. Help them identify how anger feels to them.

2. Teach calm down strategies. Anger is not bad, just an emotion. But calming down will help your child manage their behavior. Teach deep breathing, counting to 10, jumping jacks, distraction. All great calm down tools.

3. Teach understanding. Teach your child to understand WHAT makes them anger. Everyone of us has our own "triggers." Help them ID theirs.

4. Teach strategy. Communication. Understanding of others. Problem solving. Show your child HOW to fix their problems, that all problems can be worked with, that they can do it!

Try it and see what happens!

Believe in the power of your every contribution!

Check out this great anger book for kids, When I Feel Angry

Maria