Tag Archives: anger
Supporting a child who is always angry
Jamal aged four had regular angry outbursts where he would shout, scream and sometimes throw things. He was very fragile and would get upset very easily if he got something wrong, was asked to do something he didn’t want to … Continue reading
How school staff can model expressing and managing their feelings
The school setting provides an ideal situation to demonstrate how to express and manage feelings on a daily basis. Staff can model ways of expressing their own feelings, often without being aware of it. Staff who sulk, moan, patronise, and … Continue reading
The Impact of divorce or separation on young children
When parents decide to separate and no longer live together, it can be both frightening and confusing for young children. The level of upset they will experience can vary enormously depending on their age, understanding of what is happening, the … Continue reading
How children communicate through their behaviour
Kyle aged 7 lived with his parents and three younger sisters in a house dominated by conflict and drama. His parents would frequently shout at each other, blame each other for things and focus on themselves rather than the children. … Continue reading
the importance of children developing self regulation
In order for children to be able to regulate their own stress levels, they need to have had this experience from an adult. Babies are unable to regulate their own stress and they depend on their caregivers to regulate it … Continue reading
“I don’t want to see Father Xmas I hate my life”
I overheard a 9 year old saying this to his teacher this week as he was waiting with the rest of his class to go in and get a present from father Christmas at the school fair. Its true that … Continue reading
Extract from chapter three….children’s internal dialogue
Some children may have learnt to respond in a defensive way as a coping mechanism to manage the feelings of anxiety and fear that situations evoke in them. The child may present as feeling the opposite of this, for example, … Continue reading
What is this child trying to tell me?….how children communicate through their behaviour
What do you do if you feel upset, worried or have just had a bad day? As adults we have the ability to use language to express our thoughts and feelings about ourselves and our experiences. Children do not have … Continue reading
Children who sabotage
Some children have such negative and traumatic life experiences that they may approach life with a “what’s the point” attitude. This has been learnt as a defence mechanism against feeling hurt and upset. Their lives have been so painful that … Continue reading
Some children show the opposite of what they feel
Some children have experienced difficult life experiences resulting in them being wary and mistrustful of adults. In school they may present as aggressive, manipulative, controlling, bossy and fearless. They may challenge staff, say they don’t care and appear frightening to … Continue reading