Has your child ever done something that angered you so much you thought you were going to snap? Did you overreact with your child? Handle the situation poorly? If so dont beat yourself up too bad. Most parents have found a situation where their child did or said something that evoked rage in their parents. However, when your child does something wrong you need to control your anger no matter how upset you are. When your child realizes his actions can upset you to such a degree you are giving him power. That is the last thing you want to do. You need to handle each and every situation calmly. This is not to say that you simply let things go, instead you control your anger. The following suggestions might help you control your anger the next time your kid needs to be disciplined. Tip #1 Take a Deep Breath Ok, so your child just dropped your favorite crystal vase over the banister, watched it shatter on the floor below, and laughed. You feel like your head is about to explode with anger and want to make your child feel as bad about what he has done as you do. This is a normal reaction, but one that must be changed if you want to be an effective parent. Instead of totally freaking out take about five seconds, maybe ten, and breathe. Fill your body with air, let it out, and relax. Realize your child made a mistake and you have to teach him why he should not have done that and why he wont do it again in the future. When you feel the height of your anger subside then you can talk to your child. Its ok to be a little angry when you discipline, but if you are too upset you may go too far and that is never a good situation. Tip #2 Count to Ten You know how you tell your child to count to ten to cool himself off? Well, guess what? It works for parents too. When you are really angry at your child dont do anything, especially and form of physical punishment, until you count to ten. In this amount of time you will be able to cool off some and then you wont be likely to take the punishment too far. Tip #3 Be an Example If you want your child to grow up understanding that he cant go through life blaming his anger on his reactions then you need to do the same. Make sure you are a good example to your child at all times, especially when you are very angry. Your child will be watching you and the way you handle situations when you are upset will teach your child how he should handle similar situations in life as well.

Posted in Parenting

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