 A Making Lemonade Tidbit "Talk to your child about his anger" Teach: Talk to your child about his anger. Tell him that it’s important for
him to learn how to control his temper. Suggest that the first thing he does
is learn to get control of himself before he does or says things that are
inappropriate. Let your child know, in advance, that next time he explodes in
anger you’ll help him by asking him to go to his room to cool off. Advise him
that if he doesn’t immediately do as asked he would lose a privilege for the
rest of the day, such as using the telephone, watching TV or playing with
friends.
Have a plan: Help your child develop an “anger control plan.” At a quiet time,
have a discussion about anger. Brainstorm to come up with a list of things he
can do when he feels himself losing control. As an example, he could put on
his headphones and listen to music, go outside and throw a few basketballs, or
take a shower. Have him write down the ideas on an index card and put them in
a handy place. Encourage and support him when he uses some of the ideas. You
might choose use a code word that you can use to let him know his anger is
getting out of control and he needs a cooling off period. Either he or you can
use the word to signal a pause in the conversation, and allow him time to get
himself together.
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