Handling anger in children can be a real problem if it occurs frequently. Sometimes a parent also has trouble with anger. If the anger occurs just now and then, that is one thing, but if it is a frequent occurrence then professional help may be needed. Teachers and babysitters can sometimes give parents insight into why it happens. Is it jealousy, selfishness or is there a medical or psychological reason the anger occurs. Exercise can often defuse or lessen anger, as can art and sometimes music. When a parent asks me what to do when the anger becomes a real problem, I ask my favorite child psychologist do some testing. Sometimes the cause is found to be a learning disability, other times ADHD or even autism. A child may have a condition called Oppositional Defiant Disorder which is a true psychiatric diagnosis. Psychiatric help is needed and medication may help.
If the anger is intermittent, talking to the child could help, as can having the child draw the anger. Art therapy can often help greatly. Children want and need firm guidelines and boundaries. If parents are unable to do this then some family counseling could be in order. I find many parents these days find saying "no" to their children difficult, so the children don't know how to act and try to push the limits as far as they can go. No matter the cause, help is available and it should be given early in childhood, so as a teenager, the individual does not use guns or other weapons to express the anger.
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