The Anger Box For Managing Whims – Parenthood

One of the problems parents face when they have young children are temper tantrums. Children cannot handle the anger they feel and they express it that way. The anger box can help children direct their anger to another activity.

These temper tantrums usually start around the age of two and peak around the age of three or four. However, they can sometimes last up to the age of seven. It is a complicated stage in child development for parents who have to deal with these temper tantrums.

Do you want to know how to apply the anger box to improve the management of temper tantrums? Read the rest of this article.

The anger box: why do children have tantrums?

The child has to express his nervousness, but the way he does it is through the tantrum. When temper tantrums start to occur, around the age of 2, children are unable to control their emotions. Indeed, their prefrontal cortex, which regulates them, is not yet fully developed.

It is normal for children to express their frustration and anger in the form of an outburst that they cannot otherwise control. At this age, children are already able to establish a cause and effect relationship.

So they often have tantrums because they know they can get what they want. For this reason, they will use them as a way to get what they want.

It is very important that although temper tantrums are normal at these ages, parents need to control them. This will make it possible to put an end more quickly to these behaviors as soon as they appear.

Although it is not an easy task, we need persistence, patience and love. Also, we can use some techniques, such as anger box, and use it to control the child’s anger.

What is the anger box?

The anger box is a technique created by psychologist Marina Martín which uses the children’s tale by French writer Mireille D’Allancé “Grosse Anger”. This game helps children deal with their nervousness and encourages them to calm down before they can have an outburst of rage: the temper tantrum.

The first thing we need to do is tell them the story:

The story is that of a boy (here we put whatever name you want) who had a bad day at home, at school, at the park with his friends, etc. He had a bad day because he didn’t get what he wanted and everything went wrong. And, of course, that bad day ended when, at nightfall, he had a temper tantrum and screamed very loudly.

The instant (say whatever name you chose) felt such anger, he saw how a huge monster came out of him and started destroying everything around him.

(Name chosen) Seeing this mess, began to fix it and put everything away. This way the monster would get smaller and smaller until it disappeared. “Story based on the tale“ Grosse Anger ”, by Mireille d’Allancé.

The drawing

Whenever anger or rage appears, as in the case of our friend in the story, the child should start to draw his anger on a sheet of paper. It must be a free drawing.

Give him a blank sheet of paper and some colored pencils. Thus, he will channel his emotions by putting them on paper. In addition, it will relieve the frustration and nervousness that he is feeling.

When he has done his doodle, you tell him to draw the eyes, feet, hands, so that his monster is materialized. In most cases, children express this anger in the form of a doodle. However, if he does another drawing, that’s okay, it works the same. So it’s his own way of expressing the emotion he feels.

Once he has finished his drawing, we will ask him to make it into a ball, crumpling it. Then we will put it in the box that we will have intended for the anger monsters. So, once inside, the monster cannot leave and the child will be released from this negative emotion that he is feeling.

About the anger box

What this anger box technique tries to achieve is for children to be aware of the negative emotion they are feeling. This is the first step so that they then learn to control it.

This technique will redirect anger and rage to other more positive emotions, avoiding outbursts of aggression or anger. Now you can start to put it into practice, you will surely see the results. Go for these angry monsters!