I did get the book "How to Take the Grrr Out of Anger." Thanks, it is perfect for this situation. The parents are already doing most of the other suggestions.
Thanks for all the good suggestions, especially the book titles. Obviously, I should have given more info. I was writing for a neighbor who requested my help on behalf of her child who has SPD (sensory processing disorder).He receives excellent therapy/medical help, has parents who are fully engaged,able to implement, and have good support system through church. He has come a long way in self-control. The anger issue is probably a combination of frustration from SPD and REALLY not liking to be told "no" (what child does)! Sometimes it is hard to separate out what is a medical issue and what is self-will when both are present. When angry, he physically tightens up, shakes, foot-stomping, etc. He is very bright and is a reader, so I will check out the books. Maybe this info will help present my question better.
The other moms have great ideas. I was just thinking of A friend of mine used to have an exercise room in the basement where he could blow off some steem on the tredmill or weights. It worked for them and made it easier to work out the problem when he was calm. Good Luck.
There's a great book called "How to Take the Grrrr Out of Anger" which sells on Amazon for less than $10. It really helps kids identify the feelings that make them angry and explains why it's not OK to express it negatively and encourages ways for them to express it positively. It's very kind and empathetic and written for kids not adults which I think is extremely useful.
Children are rarely angry though their displays often suggest that. Underneath anger is fear, loss or lack of control, sadness, anxiety, stress, feelings of low self-esteem. Find out what's at the root of your child's anger. Give your child the space to express their emotions and give language to what's upsetting them.
Also control anger and stress in the home and care taking environment and school. Children often express what adults suppress. Take a look at the important people and environments in your child's life and see who or what may be causing them to act out.
A 7 year old cannot be expected to understand how to process complicated emotions. So it's not their fault or yours that they are angry. They just need help dealing with it. It's a learning curve for your whole family.
I highly recommend seeking professional care either for you or the child if you think it's helpful and can find someone. "Anger" unchecked can get dangerous in the later years and now is the time to deal with it.
Good luck.
The best advice I can offer is to get him involved in running. There are running programs & clubs for kids his age. Training daily will not only improve his health it will actually change his body chemistry because the body releases 'feel good" hormones like seratonin, dopamine etc. that help balance aggression, moods, impulsivity etc. Running is less competitive than other sports & is more about achieving your 'personal best'.
Once he participates in meets, collecting ribbons & medals will increase his self-esteem. He won't need a lot of equipment, just a pair of good running shoes. He will experience the fellowship & positivity of being part of a team if he joins the track/cross country team in school. All high schools have teams & even some grade schools.
I PROMISE the book "how to really love your child" by Ross campbell will be helpful...he also worte, How to Really Love Your Angry Child" it's good too...but start with the first... it has helped me tremedously. Also one thing that i have been doing when we both start to get to our wits end is talk us both off the ledge :) By saying, Mom is using self-control as whe speaks to you, mom is using respect, Please use some self control and be respectful when you talk to mom...small thing, but it has helped us both!
Need more information. Also, have you spoken to your doctor/pediatrician about it?
Here's an article I think might help. This website is a great resource:
http://www.empoweringparents.com/Angry-Child-Fix-the-Beha... for parenting questions.
put him/her in sports
We had problems with our 7 yr old too. Our pediatrition recommended therapy. We took him to Dr. Jeanna Altman in Crystal Lake. She is with Perakis, Reeses and ?(don't remember) She worked miracles for us. Shes a child therapy expert. Highly recommend her!
working as a nurse in a peds office I can tell you this is a common request and I can relate with my almost 8 year old son. He has got so much better- we have worked with a psychologist named Dr. Bolnick. She works out of schaumberg, Barrington and Arlington HIghts. Along with that we set up an every day routine, a great reward system and when my son gets angry- after he cools off we have a work sheet we do with 3 traffic lights he colors the first one red and names the problem, the second one he colors it yellow and writes what he did and what else he could do and the last one he colors green and writes what he will do next time. Along with this we realize he is angry often because of low self esteem so we prayed a lot and talked and work on his self image every day pointing out all the good things about him. When he says something bad about himself he has to say 3 good things about himself- a must or he will lose a privelege and it worked so wonderfully for him. Good Luck!
My daughter has some anger/tantrum issues. But we found they stem from sensory processing disorder. This is a great web site to get started and see if there are any other issues. Sometimes, the issues are so small, but together they add up to something. http://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/ Good luck.
It really depends where they are coming from. As one post suggested, it could be a frustration with sensory overload. Your child could be overwhelmed in someother way and this is the way the are expressing it because they don't quite know what the feeling is. I'd suggest seeing a doctor. One visit to a therapist wouldn't hurt and if you feel anxious about it. Nobody needs to know and why make your child suffer if it is related to be overwhelmed. On the other hand, maybe it is just a phase and the following books will help.
There are a number of childrens books (for children) regarding anger management similar to the one previously listed. The titles escape me but each one has a day--Getting over Mad Monday. There is also a book called Social Skills for kids. It shows how children should be behaving with the peers.
