How to Help a Six Year Old With Anger Management

Anger problems with a six-year-old can be triggered by a number of causes. The child might be in a new social environment or may have a disagreement with a peer, sibling or parent. The child might not understand why he is angry. Temper tantrums may occur when children of this age are unable to foresee the consequences of their actions or cope with a stressful situation. Parents and educators can teach children to manage their anger using short, simple directions and consistent discipline.

Things You'll Need

  • Coloring materials
  • A favorite toy

Instructions

    • 1

      Move away from the scene where the outburst occurred. Change the subject and talk about something unrelated to the stressful situation. Ask the child a question about himself that is unrelated to the issue, such as what he wants for dinner or what he did at school.

    • 2

      Tell your child to take deep breaths, breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. Ask him to tighten all his muscles and then relax them completely. Ask him to shake out the anger by moving his limbs loosely.

    • 3
      Discuss alternative behaviors with your child.

      Talk about the situation with your child. Ask her why she was upset. Ask her to come up with other ways that she could have acted. Discuss why getting angry is not a productive response.

    • 4

      Discuss appropriate social interaction with your child. Talk about what another person wanted from the situation. Explain how other people feel when he gets angry. Talk about ways to verbally express anger or frustration in a way that is not hurtful.

    • 5

      Punish aggressive behavior and reward good behavior. Take away a privilege when a child becomes angry. Give the child access to a favorite toy or activity when the child does not become angry during a stressful situation. Give positive praise for good behavior.

    • 6

      Block a child's physical aggression that harms another person. Hold a child's arm if he tries to hit another person. Tell him that he is not behaving appropriately. Remind him of appropriate behavior.

    • 7

      Demonstrate good behavior for your child. Speak quietly and calmly when you are dealing with a child who becomes angry. Show the child how to calm down and deal with a frustrating situation.

    • 8
      Give kids a positive activity to reduce their stress.

      Give the child alternative ways to express frustration. Read a book about a child who faces a frustrating situation but demonstrates good behavior. Give the child coloring items to draw a picture about how he is feeling. Play a game or practice a sport to lessen stress in a positive way.

    2. Previous:

    Next:

    • How a Child's Health Can Affect Classroom Behaviors
      A child’s health and well being greatly influences his school performance. When children are feeling sick, malnourished or generally not well, it is harder for them to focus, learn and engage in academic activities. Just like adults, children n
    • How to Stop a Child Procrastinating
      Procrastination is a problem for some children. It seems as if they have no sense of urgency. They wont come when called, they dont get ready to go places on time and they fail to complete schoolwork by the deadline. If left unaddressed, procrastinat
    • How Do Children Acquire Literacy & Language Development?
      Language development and literacy are two separate learning processes. They are entirely different in how the two embed themselves in a childs brain, but they are significant nontheless. Literacy is often taught and encouraged through reinforcement a