| Right from childhood, it is ingrained in us not to vent our | | | | behavior and how to deal with it. |
| anger, especially in public. However real the cause for | | | | Many things can lead a child to behave inappropriately |
| anger, as children we were encouraged to avoid | | | | or act harshly toward others. He may be frustrated, |
| displaying it, or risk being chastised. Sometimes, as a | | | | sad, overwhelmed, or his feelings may have been hurt. |
| parent now, you deal with your angry, hostile child by | | | | The anger may arise from family problems (like |
| getting angry yourself. At times you may even apply | | | | divorce, alcoholism, abuse), social problems (banter |
| unreasonable punishments because of your emotional | | | | from peers), school problems (learning difficulties, low |
| state. You are responding to anger with anger, and | | | | grades), or internal problems (depression). The anger |
| then feeling guilty about it later. Normally an angry child | | | | could be a reaction to stress in the family, or it could |
| is most likely to respond negatively if you deal with him | | | | be his way of getting what he wants. |
| sternly. | | | | Maybe you feel (or hope) your child's antagonized |
| You have surely witnessed this. The moody toddler | | | | behavior is just a phase that will somehow disappear |
| whose uncalled-for tantrums leave her hopeless | | | | in time. Unfortunately, this is unlikely to happen. In my |
| parents scrambling to pacify her; the dominating | | | | own experience anger is an emotion that usually |
| preschooler who never discovered how to share toys | | | | intensifies over time. Not paying attention to this can |
| or get acquainted with other children or strangers | | | | lead to bigger problems, and even violence. It can be a |
| socially; the brooding teen who deems any request as | | | | consuming force within your family that harms |
| the world war of wills; the bully whose rage and | | | | everyone, including your child. For this reason, it's crucial |
| destructive behavior make him feared, friendless, and | | | | that you deal with anger as early as possible and set |
| miserably alone. Many of these children have all the | | | | the rules for change at once. |
| comforts they require. They live in caring, loving homes, | | | | Keep in mind that the darkness that seems to be |
| yet for some baffling reason they feel and truly | | | | floating around you and your family is not a figment of |
| believe that most of the things that happen to them | | | | your imagination. Rage takes a heavy toll on |
| are simply unjust. They start their day angry, and can | | | | everybody who surrounds your child, luckily, once |
| explode into an all-out rage over little setbacks or | | | | understood, this behavior of the angry child can be |
| imagined offenses. These are children who are so full | | | | replaced with more favorable and pleasant behaviors. |
| of rage that has no apparent or distinct cause. | | | | There are plenty of great parenting resources that |
| For you, as a parent, one of the most distressing things | | | | you can take advantage of to learn how to achieve |
| to deal with is an angry, aggressive child. It wears you | | | | these pleasant outcomes, and change the interaction |
| out mentally, and is emotionally agonizing. Worse yet, | | | | of your family permanently. |
| you are baffled by the cause of such destructive | | | | |