Daily Tips for Families

Today's Tip for Families

03-11-2024

Teach Your Child to Handle Anger

Anger is a normal human emotion. Everyone has a right to feel the way they feel. It’s important, however, for children to learn that they have choices about how to express their anger. They also need to learn how to control it.

Help your elementary schooler think about what situations are likely to bring on angry feelings. Does your child tend to get mad every time a particular thing happens? If, for instance, your child usually gets angry when being teased, brainstorm together about some positive ways to respond. Your child could walk away or tell an adult.

Teach your child to recognize the "early warning signs" of anger. Anger is a physical, as well as an emotional, reaction to a particular event. Usually, breathing gets faster, the heart rate increases and blood pressure may rise.

Then, help your student develop some coping strategies to use when feeling these reactions. Encourage your child to:

Take deep breaths.
Think for a minute before saying anything.
Walk away. Later, when feeling calmer, your child can respond.

Brought to you by:

Gwinnett County Public Schools