Anger is felt by people of all ages and only gets worse when it is not handled well.

Not helping your kids to recognize anger in themselves and handle it appropriately can become a big issue especially once kids start to attend school and are required to interact with others.

Your kids can’t deal with situations that produce anger within them if they don’t recognize these types of situations and that they are getting angry.

Some common causes of anger especially within kids are:

·      Feeling misunderstood

·      Feeling that you are not being paid attention to

·      Frustration from a number of different sources

·      Being expected to complete tasks that are above your abilities

·      Feeling like you don’t have enough time to finish what is expected of you

·      Being disappointed by a test score or other low performance indicator

·      Being teased or picked on by classmates or other students

·      The feeling of fear can often turn to anger when not dealt with

·      Bottling up negative feelings can eventually turn to anger

·      Low self-esteem or not feeling good about one’s self can cause anger

·      Physical ailments like tiredness or a headache can make people more apt to be angry

·      Being ignored or not listened to can cause anger especially over time

These are just a few of the ways that kids can become angry or allow feelings to build up that eventually explode into some kind of an angry temper tantrum.

Parents and teachers can keep an eye for certain giveaways that may warn them of a child’s upcoming anger or display of anger towards another child or adult.

·      Red Face

·      Clenched Jaw

·      Tight Fists

·      Trembling or looking shaky

·      Louder than usual

·      Looking for an argument

There are plenty of strategies for dealing with anger and they vary wildly depending on at which stage you encounter the anger. The sooner you are able to recognize the potential problem and help them with it the easier it will be to handle. When helping someone that is having a problem with anger there are ongoing methods that can have a great effect. 

·      Helping them keep a journal of when they get upset

·      Keep a journal of productive ways to handle anger and what happens

·      Give them a list of calming exercises

·      Teach them to relax using counting down exercises or taking a walk

·      Work with their teachers to keep an eye on the situation and help them before they need it

·      Help them to identify when they are getting upset early so they can take actions before their anger gets out of hand

·      Help them to set goals and and time frames then track them

·      Reward them when they successfully handle anger and add it to their journal

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