How To Manage Child’s Anger?

A most common scenario which most parents and carer would have undergone with the children is that when out shopping the kids demand some unnecessary stuffs and start throwing temper tantrums when they get ‘no’ for an answer.

Most times the parents either budge in or let the child cry. Every parent asks why the child doesn’t understand the reason behind the ‘no’ and if there were better way to deal with the situation.  The answer to the former question is that the children may understand a few things but their reasoning ability hasn’t developed to the adult level. So don’t think the way adults do and can’t understand the adult language. A better way to deal is use the Play technique to forth the adult’s thoughts.

What is Play Technique?

Under Play Technique, the child will be thought right and wrong through the play way method. Their language would be used to convey our ideas and thoughts.  This is a better means to communicate to the child and convince the child to do what should be done. For example, When the child demands a new toy at the shop and parents don’t want to buy. The parents can use the same toys to express their reason behind not buying it. This way the child will not be pained by the answer and an acceptable solution can be reached without an open confrontation.

Here a few steps that would help to communicate with the child using Play method. This was designed by Neil Kalter.

• The displacement figures such toys, puppets, hand shadows, action figures could be used to display the emotion of the child without any judgemental comments.
• Express the grief of the child when the demand is turned down. But no reason should be given as to why the demand has been turned down.
• Express the child’s right to feel they feel with out doing into the details whether it was right or wrong.
• Alternate means to express the feelings could be displayed for example, like repeating words like “I am angry” or using certain hand gestures and so on.

Initially it may seem very funny and moron- like communicating to the child using the Play technique. But repeatedly and consistently following it will yield good results.