Behavior Management Methods With Angry Children

Praise and Ignoring

Children who have difficulty managing anger require frequent feedback and monitoring of their behavior. Angry children often give up when something becomes frustrating. Frequent praise encourages them to keep trying and helps them learn to manage their feelings. Provide specific praise for their willingness to work hard and not give up. Ignoring also reduces some angry outbursts because when they do not receive attention, then temper tantrums, complaining or protesting eventually cease.

Time out provides children with an opportunity to learn how to get calm in a less stimulating environment. Tell a child needing to calm down to go to time out. If she refuses, forgo the time out and remove a privilege. Eventually, the child learns to make a good choice and go to time out instead of losing a privilege. Plus, when children come to view time out as a way to calm themselves down and prevent other negative consequences, they will go on their own.

Logical consequences for aggression allow for children to take responsibility for their own behaviors. If a child kicks a hole in the wall, require him to pay for the materials to patch it and spend time helping an adult do the repair. If the child cannot pay for the materials, require completion of chores to earn the money. If a child's angry behavior results in suspension from the school bus for a week, require the child to walk or pay a parent for the gas required for transportation.

Require a child who breaks someone else's property or becomes physically aggressive to provide some sort of compensation. A child who hits his brother has to loan his favorite toy to his brother for a day or do his brother's chores for a day. If a child throws something at his mother, he cannot earn any of his privileges until he has completed an extra chore she assigns. Providing these extra consequences help children learn to recognize the hurt that aggressive behaviors cause.