Do you sometimes feel angry?
It can feel like you are a fiery dragon. Your head might feel all hot. Your hands might get sweaty. You might even feel burny inside.
When you feel angry, it can be hard to become calm again. You might want to shout, stomp around, throw things or even hurt someone.
It doesn’t feel very nice to be angry, and you might feel upset afterwards.
Why do I get angry?
There can be lots of reasons why you get angry. The person who looks after you might have done something you don’t like, or you have to do something you don’t want to do (like put on your shoes for school!). You might not know the reason why.
Remember that feeling angry is OK. It’s normal to feel angry at times. It’s your brain’s reaction to something that has gone on.
How do I get calm again?
The person who looks after you can help. They can help you notice when you start to get angry, and help you manage those big feelings.
Some ideas to help you calm down include:
- Ripping up paper
- Popping bubble wrap (or your favourite push popper toy)
- Jumping on a trampoline
- Doing jumping jacks
- Jumping with your skipping rope
- Running around the garden (if you have one!)
- Scribbling with crayons
- Smashing Play-Doh
- Blowing some bubbles
Let’s think together. What makes you feel better when you feel mad?
The person who looks after you could make a safe spot in your house too. Think about what makes you feel calm. It could be glitter bottles, push poppers, bean bags, colourful lights or crunchy snacks.
Let them know what you like. You could even help them make your special safe spot, so you know it’s there when you feel MAD!
A tip for the person who looks after you…
If you like, you could read this to them to help them understand more about you!
“When I get big feelings like anger, my brain doesn’t understand everything. Please don’t lecture me or ask too many questions when I am feeling angry. I won’t hear what you are saying. I need to know you are there with me, and that you can cope with my big feelings.”