Angry Kids: Dealing With Explosive Behavior

(Available in English and Spanish) | Useful to Parent Center for sharing with parents, childhood care providers, and others.

When a child—even a small child—melts down and becomes aggressive, he can pose a serious risk to himself and others, including parents and siblings.

It’s not uncommon for kids who have trouble handling their emotions to lose control and direct their distress at a caregiver, screaming and cursing, throwing dangerous objects, or hitting and biting. It can be a scary, stressful experience for parent, caregiver, and child alike. Children often feel sorry after they’ve worn themselves out and calmed down.

So what does a parent or caregiver do?

That’s what this article from the Child Mind Institute is about—what to do. There are immediate actions to take or not take to calm the situation down. Then it’s important to figure out what kind of a tantrum the child had, because that affects how to respond. Several behavioral techniques are described, what to do when behavioral plans aren’t enough, and how certain disabilities may manifest themselves in explosive behavior.

Read the article in English at:
https://childmind.org/article/angry-kids-dealing-with-explosive-behavior/

Read Niños furiosos: Cómo lidiar con la conducta explosiva, at:
https://childmind.org/article/ninos-furiosos-como-lidiar-con-la-conducta-explosiva/