What your child’s anger might be telling you

What does it mean when your child is angry? Are they frustrated? Or anxious? Learn how understanding what’s behind your child’s anger can help you respond in the best way possible.

Most kids get angry sometimes. It’s a natural reaction when life feels hard or unfair. It’s also natural for parents to feel conflicted when it happens. You can feel irritated and want to help at the same time. 

Anger is often a sign that kids are frustrated or struggling with things beyond their control. They don’t react this way on purpose. It happens because they don’t yet have the skills to identify and cope with strong emotions. 

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Two common emotions that can lead to anger are anxiety and frustration. The key to helping is to find out what’s causing those feelings. Is it difficulty learning a task or skill? Or being slower than other kids to do things?

Understanding what’s behind your child’s anger lets you respond in the best way possible. But it doesn’t always make it easier to cope with it. Keep in mind that once your child calms down, they might feel ashamed of their behavior or like they’re “bad.” 

Anger problems can get better as kids learn to manage emotions and express what they’re feeling. And there are many ways to help your child with anger, both at home and at school.

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