Anger Management in Children

Helping children navigate the complexities of anger and cultivate a healthier relationship with this often misunderstood emotion is extremely important while they are developing into the amazing people they are.

This is written to begin conversation with your children and help them navigate their feelings. If you want more hands-on activities and worksheets, you can find our anger management guide HERE.

Understanding Your Feelings:

At the heart of anger management is the understanding of your feelings. The five-point scale below may help you identify how you're feeling at any given moment:

• I feel good. I feel in control of myself.

• I feel okay but something is starting to worry or frustrate me.

• I'm a little out of control. I may feel frustrated or excited and move all over. I'm starting to get overwhelmed.

• I'm starting to lose control and I am upset. I may feel like saying things that are hurtful.

• I am so angry. I feel like screaming or hitting and I've lost control.

Managing Your Anger:

Knowing how to manage your anger effectively is crucial. Here are some strategies you might find helpful:

• Tell an adult how you feel.

• Ask for a hug.

• Blow up a balloon.

• Punch or squeeze a pillow.

• Listen to music or sing a song.

• Write a story.

• Go outside and kick a ball or run around.

• Draw or scribble a picture.

• Close your eyes and think of a calm place.

• Count to 10.

• Take 5 deep breaths.

• Read a book.

• Get a drink.

• Walk away.

• Turn off the lights.

• Stretch my body.

• Rip up a piece of paper.

• Push my hands together, hold and release (repeat).

• Find a calm, quiet space.

• Get some fresh air.

• Do a grounding exercise.

Grounding when Angry:

Grounding techniques can help bring you back to the present moment when you're feeling overwhelmed or anxious. Here's one technique called "5-4-3-2-1":

• 5 things you can see

• 4 things you can touch

• 3 things you can hear

• 2 things you can smell

• 1 thing you can taste

It is important for children to understand that anger is a NORMAL emotion that we all experience. It is our role as their guide to help them understand what causes these emotions, what they feel and look like for them, and coping strategies to handle them in a healthy manner.

If you want a tool to dive deeper into this journey, you can find many hands-on activities for your child in our Anger Management Workbook.

We are so grateful you are here to fight for the future!!

xoxo,

Kelly + Liz