Parenting For Humanity Blog

This Thursday’s show is about how we calm ourselves down, and how we help our children calm down.

In thinking about this, I realized a few things. First, dealing with anger has got to be one of the hardest things about parenting. Other than big city traffic and politics, there is little that seems to frustrate parents as much as getting in power struggles with a child, especially one prone to big emotions themselves.

Second, as parents, anger is almost a taboo subject. There is so much judgment around anger that admitting to either having it or not knowing what to do with it in our children is a pretty scary proposition. How do we learn to manage it in a healthy way if everyone is downplaying it’s very existence?

Lastly, anger is a complex emotion and strategies for managing anger are fairly personal. Understanding that you are angry, not to mention figuring out why, is difficult skill for both children and adults.

How do you calm down when life is overwhelming and you feel yourself beginning to get angry? Please share any strategies you have, and we’ll talk to you on Thursday, 7/3, noon EST, for “Fireworks are Overrated”.

Lisa