We all feel angry, and for about 1,000 good reasons! Anger is a common, protective emotion often driven by deeper and more vulnerable feelings like worry, embarrassment, guilt, and disappointment. Anger can be a reaction to injustice and our body’s response to feelings of threat. 

Anger is powerful and important, but it’s also a feeling that can be hard to understand and manage, especially for kids. Intense anger can trigger our body’s automatic fight or flight response. In these instances, anger can feel really big, and even out of control. 

Sometimes anger is easy to spot – yelling, throwing, breaking things, or physically lashing out. Other times it’s more subtle – silence, a clenched jaw, becoming irritable or argumentative.

How to help your child manage anger in the moment:

1. Model calm. It’s 100% normal to also feel frustrated,  impatient, or angry when your child is angry – but we all know that heat from both sides never helps things cool down. Take a few seconds to let yourself regulate (deep breaths, a slight pause) so you can address the situation calmly and with a clear head.
2. Validate your child’s emotions. Regardless of their reaction, there’s a valid reason your child is feeling angry. Sometimes anger is mixed with anxiety, overwhelm or stress. Maybe they had their heart set on something that didn’t work out, or maybe they perceived something as unfair. When feeling those quick, intense emotions it may be hard for your child to truly understand how they feel and why. Your ability to validate their feelings not only helps them feel seen and heard, but also helps them process why they’re feeling this way in the first place. 
3. Calm with them. If your child has been playing Mightier for a while, or has a favorite calming strategy, use it with them. Because anger is often a very physical experience, deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and even taking a walk may be key in giving their brain and body the time to calm down and relax. They also likely need the reminder of how to manage in these moments.

These strategies are great for responding to the big moments when they happen, but prevention strategies, like playing Mightier, are best for building anger management skills. Learn more about how Mightier’s game-based digital mental health tool can support your child and family!