Anger and aggression can be hard to cope with, both for children themselves and for those around them. Just like for adults, angry behaviour often arises from feeling anxious, sad or frightened. An example of this might be a parent shouting at their child because they ran into the road. Understanding this can help you, as a parent, approach anger in a calmer way yourself, although it can be difficult! Children need to learn that being angry is a valid emotion and how to express it in a way that doesn’t hurt or upset others.
The videos and top tips below will give you some ideas on how to do this and there are some lovely books to help you talk about anger with your child.
Other sources of help can be found in the Parents Survival Guide
Understanding and responding to to anger
- Why is my child so angry?
- How to defuse situations, avoid making them worse and how to look after yourself: advice and a video
- Anger and aggression: Why they happen and how to cope. You can read through a more detailed workbook which takes you through a step-by-step approach to making a plan. (Mind Ed charity)
- Parents’ guide on how to respond to anger
Books for children on feeling angry
- What to Do When your Temper Flares: A Kid’s Guide to Overcoming Problems with Anger by Dawn Huebner. A fun interactive book with lots of metaphors and useful strategies. Good for ages 6-12 years.
- Volcano in My Tummy: Helping Children to Handle Anger by Elaine Whitehouse. Useful for parents and teachers. Helping children to deal with frustration and anger in more constructive ways while acknowledging that it’s OK to feel angry.
- Feeling angry by Katie Douglass. Ideal for children aged 4-8 years and has some tips for parents (and teachers) on how to diffuse anger.
- Ravi’s Roar by Tom Percival. One of a series of beautifully illustrated books suitable to be read from 3-8 yrs. A clever and gentle book about coping with emotions