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Helping Kids Manage Anger
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Here are some tips from experts on how to help young children manage anger and stress:
- Teach relaxation exercises children can use when they feel tense.
- Set clear and consistent limits for a child´s behavior.
- Help children use their imagination to think positively.
- In a conflict, offer choices, but only two choices set by an adult, so the child
knows you´re still in charge.
- Play calming games that increase mind and body control such as Simon Says, Follow
the Leader or Think of Something Quiet.
- Teach deep breathing. Tell the child to imagine blowing up a balloon inside their tummy,
then letting the air out, or making a great big "Teddy Bear tummy" filled with air.
- Listen rather than scold. Ask for a better alternative. Rather than demanding an apology,
ask the child how he can make the situation right.
- Teach a child that anger is a natural emotion and there are appropriate ways to express it,
including counting to 10, stomping, punching a pillow, drawing, singing angry songs or doing
an "Angry Dance".
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