“What can be done to control anger in small children?”
My 5 year old son has a very bad temper, especially when he doesn't get his way. How can I help him to control his anger in a healthy, positive way?
5 Answers
Send the child to their room. Five minutes, i.e., one minute per child’s age. Do not let the child play with any toys or be listening to music, etc. It’s quiet time to think of what anger or other behavior that was displayed.
There really is no perfect way to control someone else's anger, the only thing one can do is control their own response. Most children will repeat a behavior if it is reinforced either negatively or positively. Make sure you are not accidentally reinforcing this anger behavior by allowing it to work. The better strategy is to try and find his triggers and then redirect him when he is approaching a trigger point. Otherwise other beneficial things to do center around providing positive praise when he is being good so that it will reinforce this behavior more.
Children from two years to 5 years have behavioral issues by showing their authority in the form of temper tantrums. Best thing is to ignore in a safe environment and when the child calms down, then explain in a friendly way why at times it is not possible to have his way.
Do not give him his way when he is acting out. This reinforces the bad behavior. Reward him when he is good and try to redirect his anger, such as through a boxing bag, riding a bike, or running.
Hi,
Time out is one way of showing a consequence for unacceptable behavior. You could also try some relaxation techniques, not at the time of anger, but as a general practice to reduce his frequency of anger. There are many relaxation techniques online through Youtube, but I prefer Heartfulness relaxation technique since I personally used it on school kids and patients in my clinic. Try it :)
Time out is one way of showing a consequence for unacceptable behavior. You could also try some relaxation techniques, not at the time of anger, but as a general practice to reduce his frequency of anger. There are many relaxation techniques online through Youtube, but I prefer Heartfulness relaxation technique since I personally used it on school kids and patients in my clinic. Try it :)
