• Deep Breathing: Focusing on your breath is key in controlling how anger shows up in your body and your mind. Teach your child some deep breathing exercises when they are calm and remind them to use their breath to manage their anger.

• Monitor their self- talk: It’s easy to feed into anger and let it escalate based on the story you tell yourself. Self-talk has a huge influence on your feelings and can make yourself feel better or worse on any given situation. Help your child choose different thoughts when they are faced with an upsetting situation.

• Using I-statements: I-statements help a child communicate effectively without being disrespectful or aggressive. They allow a child to describe what happened, how they felt, why they felt that way, and what they would like to happen instead. For example: I feel… when… because…. I wish….

• Remind them they have alternatives: Help your child let go of anger in safe ways. For example, if they tend to express anger and frustration in a physical way, they can kick a ball against an outside wall, punch a pillow, rip up newspaper, stomp on bubble wrap, go for a run or squeeze a stress ball.

• Feelings are ok: Feelings and emotions form an essential part of our lives and well-being. Help your child identify and develop a vocabulary of feelings so that they can express themselves openly.

Parenting a child who struggles with anger can be exhausting. It is often an opportunity to learn more about yourself as a parent and how you respond to big emotions. Support your child emotionally and they will feel safe with their feelings. Take care of yourself, teach through love and hold a space where your child’s positivity can flourish.