Motherhood and Family

Charlene Hartung, Motherhood and Family

Anger Management for Kids

Anger Management for Kids Posted on Charlene Hartung, Motherhood and Family My daughter is seven and will be eight in a few months. And boy, oh boy, the outbursts I sometimes experience with her. Sometimes, they are directed at me, her brother, or even a friend.  These happen mainly in the morning and at school when she doesn’t get her way. Her excuse for the morning anger is that she is not a morning person and doesn’t like being rushed. She is also very tearful, and I think she cries when she gets so angry, and she doesn’t quite know how to control that anger. This article contains some handy information. If all else fails, get your child in therapy. An angry child becomes and angry adult, which we don’t want. Anger Management for Kids Everyone has angry feelings. Big emotions, including feeling mad, are normal parts of life. If we want to help our children manage their anger effectively, we first have to teach them about this big and complex emotion—what it feels like, what causes it, and effective ways to manage it. As parents, we must teach our kids these four things. 1) What is Anger? The first step is for kids to understand that everyone has a hard time and feels angry sometimes- and that is okay! It’s part of learning mindfulness.  Anger shouldn’t be considered a “bad” emotion, but learning healthy ways to manage anger with healthy coping skills is important. 2) What Does Anger Feel Like? Teach your kids how to read their bodies and identify anger signs.  Anger may feel different to some people. For some kids, it may cause them to cry, others may feel their heart beating faster, and some may have urges to act out in physical ways. These big emotions can cause conflict in everyday life. When a child is mindful of what anger feels like, then can stop it in its tracks with these essential skills. 3) What Causes Anger? The best way to help your child develop tools to combat anger is to help them identify their biggest anger triggers. Do they get upset when they lose a game? Does it make them mad when they can’t do something by themselves? Are they angry when they are tired or hungry? Talking to your kid about what makes them mad will help them start to think logically through this emotion. 4) How do you Combat Anger? The last step to Quieting the Storm is to teach your kid anger management activities to help them cope with this uncomfortable feeling. There are simple activities that your kid can do to focus, relax, and think clearly – and ultimately express anger healthily.  Tools for Calming Down Sometimes, your child’s anger and negative emotions will cloud their ability to have conversations or focus on coping strategies. The good news is that there are simple ways you can get them to relax and think straight. Play therapist. Tell your child that they are in a safe place. Then, help them lower their heart rate with deep breathing exercises. For young children, try these fun and easy-to-follow methods: Snake breathing: Take a deep breath; when you exhale, make a hissing noise as long as possible. Rainbow breathing: Start with arms at the side of your body; as arms go up (like a rainbow arch), take deep breaths, and as they go down, exhale. Teaching little kids to cope with big feelings with fun activities is a great way to engage them. Quiet the Storm Inside Anger is like a storm. You can feel it rolling in, sometimes quickly and sometimes overtime.  With a storm, we must let the rain come or do something to help (like open an umbrella). This is similar to anger. Angry kids may have to do an activity until their anger subsides.  In closing, these simple anger management skills will help your kids deal with the unpleasant situations they will inevitably face throughout their lives. Try these anger management games next time you see anger impacting your child’s behaviour.  When your child learns how to calm the anger storm brewing inside, they can react calmly and responsibly and start to see the light at the end of each tunnel they approach.   Anger Management Activities that Teach Coping Skills to Easily Angered Kids Suggested Articles You May Also Like Charlie’s Favorite Things Charlie’s Favorite Things • November 5, 2024 • No Comments Charlie’s Favorite Things Posted on Charlene Hartung, Curated This month, I have three delightful things … Wise Words Wise Words • November 5, 2024 • No Comments Wise Words Posted on Charlene Hartung, Curated Suggested Articles You May Also Like Processed vs … Book Review: Spare By Prince Harry Book Review: Spare By Prince Harry • November 5, 2024 • No Comments Book Review: Spare By Prince Harry Posted on Charlene Hartung, Curated “Spare” is the memoir … Navigating Loss Navigating Loss • November 5, 2024 • No Comments Navigating Loss Posted on Curated, Guest Contributions My father was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate … 1 2 3 … 5 Next »

Charlene Hartung, Motherhood and Family

Kids and Reading

Kids and Reading Posted on Charlene Hartung, Motherhood and Family My daughter is now in grade one and was diagnosed with dyslexia in March this year. Her teacher didn’t take long to figure out that she was struggling. Reading and writing were the ways her dyslexia came forth. Since then, we have made great strides in helping her cope with her learning disability. And I must say, she has shown up for herself in her school work and dedication to mastering reading and writing. In the second half of the year, they were encouraged to read six books until the end of the year. So we bought her books, and off she went. But with most children, reading is a struggle for them; with all the electronics around, they prefer watching a TV show or playing games to reading. Back in the day, we had limited TV, lots of play outside, riding bikes and sports in the afternoons, and then there was reading. Apart from the fact that we were also made to read quite a bit at school, it only came much later in higher grades. Having kids fall in love with reading from the beginning is a great idea. I have always tried to instil a love and respect for books in my kids. I did some research, and below are some ways to encourage your kids to cultivate a passion for reading and books. 1. Set a good example: Let your child see you reading regularly. Children often mimic the behaviour of adults around them. 2. Another key strategy for encouraging kids to read more is to create a reading-friendly environment. Ensure your child has many books, magazines, and other reading materials at home. 3. Reading together is a bonding experience and a great way to make reading more enjoyable for your child. Spend quality time reading with them. 4. Let them choose their own books: Allow your child to choose books that interest them. This will make reading more engaging and enjoyable for them. 5. Make reading fun: Encourage your child to participate in reading challenges, join a book club, or attend storytelling events at the library. 6. Limit screen time: Set boundaries on screen time and encourage your child to spend more time reading instead. 7. Praise and reward: Celebrate your child’s reading achievements and offer rewards to encourage them to read more. Suggested Articles You May Also Like Charlie’s Favorite Things • November 5, 2024 • No Comments Charlie’s Favorite Things Posted on Charlene Hartung, Curated This month, I have three delightful things … Book Review: Spare By Prince Harry • November 5, 2024 • No Comments Book Review: Spare By Prince Harry Posted on Charlene Hartung, Curated “Spare” is the memoir … Navigating Loss • November 5, 2024 • No Comments Navigating Loss Posted on Curated, Guest Contributions My father was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate … Processed vs Ultra Processed Foods • October 4, 2024 • No Comments Processed vs Ultra Processed Foods Posted on Charlene Hartung, Curated Understanding the categories of processed … 1 2 3 … 5 Next »

Motherhood and Family

A Whole Year with Lilly

My daughter turned 1, which seems completely unbelievable to me. But also feels in a way, like we made it to some kind of parenting milestone. And when I think back on my year as a mom, there have been so many highs and lows on the journey that I sometimes can’t believe we’ve made it this far. I know our first year has been the hardest of my life, but it has also been my happiest. I wish I could say that becoming a mom was perfectly blissful to me, but that wasn’t my reality at all. And I’ve learned that it’s okay to talk about that. I certainly don’t want my daughter one day to go into motherhood thinking that it’s all moonshine and roses. Motherhood is different for everyone, and it comes with a lot of challenges.

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