Dealing with an angry child is no easy feat. We’ve all had that moment when our child blows up in anger in public, while the entire world watches on, and while we all know these moments are bound to happen, that doesn’t make them any easier to deal with.
When dealing with an angry child, it is best to tread carefully. You don’t want to react back to them in anger, otherwise, you are sending the wrong message. Instead, you must focus on positive solutions that will actually benefit your child, while working in the long run. What you should be focusing on is teaching them the proper skills to handle their emotions moving forward, which can be done by implementing the following strategies.
1. Teach them about their feelings.
In order for your child to understand their emotions, they first need to understand what those emotions are, so when you notice them, label them. For example, when your child is angry, say, “I see that you are angry and I understand. How can we solve this?”
2. Develop a calm-down plan.
Create a calm-down plan in advance. This may take some figuring out what works for your child and in some situations, you may need a special plan. Take some time to consider techniques like breathing exercises or even taking a quick walk or having a distraction plan in place. Then, allocate the right strategy to the right moment.
3. Help cultivate anger management skills.
Your child depends on you to help them manage their emotions, so if this is an area you struggle with, it may be time to educate yourself. Look at different strategies and help your little one to work through them,
4. Be empathetic.
Always be empathetic, because while your child’s outburst of emotions may not come at the right time for you, their feelings are valid. The last thing you want to do is invalidate them or make them feel like their emotions are wrong.
5. Handle your own anger.
If you want to help your child, if you cannot handle your own anger, you are going to struggle. Make sure that you are modeling the right behaviors by learning healthy strategies for your own anger.
6. Avoid violent media.
It might sound cliche but if you want your child to have the proper response to anger, discourage them from watching violent media. Honestly, any type of media that depicts people reacting to their anger in the wrong way should be a no-go.