Anger Management

  Anger is a powerful and complex emotion.  Even adults have difficulty handling anger.  Small wonder, then, that children often are overwhelmed and confused by their own angry feelings, and that they so easily lose control.

     Very young children lack both the cognitive and the emotional capacity to understand and deal with anger.  A two-year-old having a temper tantrum is clearly in the grip lf something he can neither comprehend nor control.  As children get older, however, they become more self-aware and better able to handle abstractions.  They can begin to look at their feelings in a more focused way and develop strategies for coping with their strong emotions.

     The importance of helping children learn to deal with anger and other feelings is keenly felt in schools.  Outbursts in the classroom, fights on the playground, tears over a friend's desertion-these are part of daily life in elementary schools everywhere.  Elementary teachers know the disruption that anger can cause, both for the individual and for the entire group, and they know the value of helping students learn to handle anger in positive, constructive ways.

    Gaining a degree of control over angry feelings and behavior and understanding that anger is a normal emotion common to all human beings, is a giant step towards growth and maturity.  By learning to deal with anger, students also gain the sense of mastery and empowerment that comes with being in command of their feelings and actions.  They can also learn and acquire skills they can use throughout their lives.

Being a Friend is not always easy.

Here are some ways in which you can help your child when he or she is finding it difficult to get along with a friend.