Reid, Age 5: Gets angry at classmates

Ep. 45 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: Gets angry at classmates

Reid asks about a common problem: getting mad at his peers. Hear what does–and doesn’t–work to manage anger.

Would YOUR KID like to be featured on the podcast? SUBMIT A QUESTION TO DR. FRIENDTASTIC at https://DrFriendtastic.com/submit. (Obviously, this is not psychotherapy, and it’s not for emergency situations.)

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

- Think of a recent time that you felt angry with another kid. What happened? How did you handle it?

- What are some reasons why it’s not a good idea to act rough when you’re angry? (Hint: How are other people likely to react? How would you feel about yourself?)

- Why do you think crossing your arms and taking two steps back are the first steps for emergency coping with anger? (Hint: what might that prevent?

- Dr. Friendtastic lists a bunch of possible distraction strategies to use for emergency coping with anger, including saying the alphabet in your mind, counting by even numbers, doing math, or remembering the words to a song. Which of these would you like to try,? What else could you do to distract yourself when you’re mad?

- The coping thoughts that Dr. Friendtastic mentions, such as “I don’t like this, but I can handle it,” recognize that the situation is hard AND that you can cope with it. What coping statements do you think might be useful for you to think about when you start to feel angry?

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