Did you know that it’s OKAY to be angry? Anger is a natural, God-given emotion and it’s okay.
The thing is, when we are dealing with big emotions like anger, we have to learn how to act on those emotions appropriately. To some of us, this comes naturally and needs no explanation. To some kids, however, knowing how to manage anger and respond correctly is a learned skill. These kids naturally lash out and react inappropriately to the anger emotion and need help finding calming and coping skills.
Lyman Abbot once said, “Do not teach your children never to be angry. Teach them HOW to be angry.” That’s the focus of the tools found in this post, all of which we own in our home. And don’t forget the element of fun. You can make these lessons in coping with anger fun! (Just don’t try to pull anything out of your hat in the middle of your child’s angry moment. Play with these tools when everyone is happiest.)
If your child needs to learn coping skills, I highly recommend the Creating Coping Skills Champions E-course for parents. It was a huge eye-opener for me and is all about helping you find ways to help your child.
I recommend pinning this post to help you find it later!
Board Games to Help Kids Learn How to be Angry Appropriately
If you have a child who loves board games and card games this is a great place to start.
Mad Dragon: An Anger Control Card Game.
Q’s Race to the Top: A Board Game
Books to Help Kids Learn How to be Angry Appropriately
Don’t Rant and Rave on Wednesdays
When Sophie Gets Angry – Really, Really Angry
When I Feel Angry (The Way I Feel Books)
Activity Guides to Help Kids Learn How to be Angry Appropriately
Mindful Kids: 50 Activities for Calm, Focus and Peace
Coping Skills Tools to Help Kids Learn How to be Angry Appropriately
Lauryn R says
August 9, 2018 at 12:49 PMThese are great tips! It can definitely be hard when you have little ones, and teaching them isn’t always easy. Thank you so much for sharing.
Emily Benzing says
August 10, 2018 at 7:02 PMI love this idea! I wish I had more outlets when I was angry when I was younger. It would of helped me a lot more I think, especially now as an adult.
Casey Garvey says
August 11, 2018 at 11:15 PMThese all sound like great learning games! I still struggle on effective emotional handling!
Emily Benzing says
August 12, 2018 at 12:16 PMAnger is something we all have and I think it’s a great idea to show kids how to control it early. It will definitely shape them into a better person and show that you don’t have to take your anger out in certain ways. Love this!
Casey Garvey says
August 12, 2018 at 10:34 PMI cant effectively control my emotions to this day. I sometimes accidently laugh when I mean to cry!
Casey Garvey says
August 13, 2018 at 11:36 PMThe personal sandbox looks fun and it could be used for other learning activities as well as how to deal with anger.
Rebecca Hobratschk says
August 15, 2018 at 8:04 AMIt’s great when parents know how to teach kids to deal appropriately with their anger. I like the variety of resources you listed here. Keep up the good work.
Casey Garvey says
August 21, 2018 at 6:26 PMThe mad dragon looks like an awesome game! I love when kids can learn and play at the same time!
Denise Low says
August 21, 2018 at 7:30 PMThank you for sharing. Our kids have grown so I will share this with my son because he has 3 children.
Casey Garvey says
August 22, 2018 at 10:32 PMI grew up being taught that anger was a bad emotion. And from that, I bottle my feelings up until I explode!
LAURA COOK-DENNARD says
August 24, 2018 at 10:07 AMI’m so glad I found your blog. I think it will help me a lot as I continue my homesteading and homeschooling journey!
Casey Garvey says
August 26, 2018 at 9:47 AMQ’s race to the top; the board game, sounds like a great game! My kids may just get one of these for christmas!
Casey Garvey says
August 28, 2018 at 9:18 PMI love the personal sandbox and sand! Its a great tool for kids who dont have a park nearby!
Denise Low says
September 1, 2018 at 9:32 PMThank you for sharing. These are great ideas.
Casey Garvey says
September 2, 2018 at 2:16 PMMy step son is 9 years old. He got in trouble yesterday for hitting my 2 year old in the face. He has anger issues that his parent wont deal with appropriatley!