Managing Anger at the Childcare Center & School

As children grow up, they express anger in different ways at different ages. Teachers and early childhood professionals can help young children learn to manage their anger in ways appropriate to their age and development. The following generally describes these stages of anger:

• Babies. Babies get angry because they are hungry, sick, or are startled by a loud noise. They show anger by crying and thrashing their arms and legs, attracting adults to their aid.
• Toddlers. Toddlers can be easily frustrated when they cannot do what they want. They have limited language skills but can begin to communicate their feelings with few words. Since they can't control their emotions very well, tantrums may occur.
• Children from about ages 3 to 5. Children gradually understand more and get angry about what people say, as well as what they do. They express themselves better and begin to aim their aggression at hurting someone else by actions—like hitting—or using threatening words.
• Children from about ages 6 to 8. Children should be able to learn to control their anger and channel it to resolve unfair situations. They can understand another person's point of view and feelings, and they value belonging and acceptance by peers.
  

But children can learn from teachers and other adults around them how to manage anger. This teaches them how to get long with others and helps their success at school. Since young children learn by watching the adults around them, teachers need to control their own anger as examples to young children of how to behave. The basic violence prevention messages are:

• It's okay to be angry.
• There are "okay" ways and "not okay" ways to show your anger.
• It's not okay to hurt anyone, to break things, or to hurt pets when you are angry.
• It's okay to tell someone that you are angry.
• There are ways to calm yourself when you are angry.
  

The resources to the right can help teachers learn more about teaching anger management to children, developing anger management skills for themselves, and working with individual children and the classroom as a whole.