Does Your Child Get Angry About Everything? Tips to Help Them
On many occasions, our child’s personality can make motherhood and fatherhood difficult to navigate. However, despite the obstacles that may appear because your child gets angry about everything, there are some tips that will be of great help to accompany them and correct their attitudes with love, respect, and dialogue.
It’s often believed that children who get angry easily are simply capricious children who want to get attention and get what they want at all costs. But the truth is that they’re children who need the support of their parents to learn to control their high sensitivity, a characteristic that makes them more susceptible to multiple situations and that requires the promotion of emotional intelligence so that they don’t let their feelings overflow inappropriately.
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8 tips to use when your child gets angry about everything
There are some children who, from early childhood, show that they’re more sensitive than other peers of their age. Children who explode at the slightest circumstance need a guide to help them control the accumulation of emotions that are bottled up inside them. Otherwise, this attitude will only end up hurting them and others.
These are some recommendations when your child gets angry about everything.
1. Give them your love and support
Angry episodes in children are normal in their process of gradually acquiring more emotional intelligence. However, what can be very exhausting is when children explode at the slightest event and hurt their own feelings and those around them.
Because of the above, even though sometimes it’s inevitable that they’ll get angry, when these episodes happen, provide your children with an emotional environment of safety and trust. If they allow you to do so, hug them with love and show them your support so they can calm down and have a conversation about how they’re feeling and what they can do to get better.
Look them in the eye and get down on their level
Before you say anything to your child after an angry episode, it’s very important that you get down on their level and look them empathetically in the eye. This simple action is known as “active listening” and allows you to approach your child in a respectful and approachable way. Show them that you’re open to communication to find out what makes them angry.
3. Give your child time to calm down
Temper tantrums and angry outbursts are very stressful for both children and their parents. So, before you talk to them, allow them the time they need to calm down completely. It’s not about letting things go and forgetting them in the past. It’s about giving the children the space to come out of the tension of the moment and understand the situation from another point of view. So take the time to reflect calmly.
4. Validate the emotions they’re experiencing
When having a conversation with your child about the angry outbursts they may feel, try to first validate their emotions and empathize with their feelings. Therefore, before rushing to scold them for their attitudes, listen to them patiently and show them with your gestures and words that you understand what they’re going through. This way, your child will be more likely to listen to you objectively, knowing that you connect with their needs and care about their well-being.
5. Teach your child how to breathe to calm down
When facing a stressful moment when your child gets angry about everything, breathing techniques are great allies to help calm your child down. So, when you notice that your child’s about to explode, accompany them to a secluded place and teach them how to breathe so they don’t get carried away by their emotions.
The 5-2-6 technique is a great tool that both of you can take advantage of when anger knocks on your door. It consists of taking a deep breath for 5 seconds, holding it for 2 seconds, and then releasing it all for a count of 6. Teaching this simple exercise can make a big difference when your children are alone and need to control their emotions.
6. Help them put their emotions into words
Children don’t come into this world with an instruction manual that explains how to identify their emotions and control them when they’re wrong. So, when your little one has a fit of rage, tantrum, or anxiety crisis, allow them to calm down completely before having a dialogue mediated by empathy, love, and respect.
Depending on their age, help your child identify what it was that made them react in a certain way and what the emotion was that overflowed inside them. When they’re very young, start with basic emotions such as sadness, happiness, and anger and, as they get older, explain more complex emotions such as disappointment, frustration, and displeasure.
7. Be clear with your little one
Many times, children have unpredictable anger attacks because we as parents change the plans we had with them from one second to the next. This produces insecurity and makes them react explosively. To avoid these situations, be clear with your child about the things they’ll do on a daily basis and try to keep your word. Remember that surprises can trigger crises in highly sensitive children. So, if there is a change of plans, explain it politely so they understand the situation.
8. Find an effective distraction
When you notice that your child’s about to have an angry outburst, employ techniques or dynamics that serve as a distraction to help them calm down. From kissing and hugging, to singing their favorite song or practicing breathing techniques. This way, your little one can feel reassured to talk to their parents about what they were feeling to learn to control their anger in an intelligent way.
Continue reading: 5 Games that Promote Self-Control in Children
Follow these tips when your child gets angry about everything
Highly sensitive children can feel threatened by multiple situations that make them feel insecure and explode in fits of rage. However, although they’re not to blame for their nature, it’s important to correct them and guide them with respect and empathy so that they learn emotional intelligence. Therefore, if your child gets angry about everything, follow the above tips and give them all your unconditional love and support so they can improve as a person.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
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