Helping Kids Manage Anger   

Here are some tips from experts on how to help young children manage anger and stress:
  1. Teach relaxation exercises children can use when they feel tense.
  2. Set clear and consistent limits for a child´s behavior.
  3. Help children use their imagination to think positively.
  4. In a conflict, offer choices, but only two choices set by an adult, so the child knows you´re still in charge.
  5. Play calming games that increase mind and body control such as Simon Says, Follow the Leader or Think of Something Quiet.
  6. 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.
  7. Listen rather than scold. Ask for a better alternative. Rather than demanding an apology, ask the child how he can make the situation right.
  8. 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".