There comes a time in every parent’s life when a child is angry, really angry at him or her.
• Try to recall a similar situation you had with your own parents, and you’ll probably gain some understanding and insight. Then, allow your child to be angry. You might even say, “It’s okay for you to be angry with me. I’m angry with you sometimes too.”
• Be sure to hear your child out; encourage the use of words to express anger, and don’t belittle immature feelings, after all, children are immature. Speak softly when you answer; a child will quiet down to listen. And, hopefully, you’ll be able to talk things over.
• Call for a time out if you’re both upset; allow for a cooling off period in separate rooms, then get together and try to work things out.
• Ask your child to draw pictures to show how he or she feels; it can often be a creative way to relieve tension. Then, do something physical together to let off steam; jog around the block, jump rope, you might even want to rake the yard.
• Just remember this, children need love the most when it seems they deserve it the least.
Vicki Lansky’s practical, common sense approach to parenting is familiar to millions throughout the world. Vicki’s first book, Feed Me, I’m Yours, published in 1974, and still one of the most popular baby/toddler food cookbooks in the country, was followed by The Taming of the C.A.N.D.Y. Monster, a #1 New York Times bestseller. Her other titles include: Toilet Training, Birthday Parties Best Party Tips & Ideas For Ages 1-8, Dear Babysitter Handbook, Welcoming Your Second Baby, Getting Your Child to Sleep … and Back to Sleep, Trouble-free Travel with Children, Baby Proofing Basics and Games Babies Play From Birth to Twelve Months, Koko Bear’s New Potty, A New Baby at Koko Bear’s House, Koko Bear and the New Babysitter, and Koko Bear’s Big Earache. Vicki Lansky’s Divorce Book for Parents: Helping Children Cope with Divorce and Its Aftermath
