Parenting on Purpose Blog

One thing children don’t readily realize is that they’re in control of their emotions and their behavior — that the behavior and emotions don’t control them. They also don’t naturally understand that behavior and emotions are both temporary and changeable. Behavior and emotions don’t define who they are.

A yelling child isn’t coming from a rational place. To try to reason away their anger only adds fuel to the fire. It takes practice, but you can build your ability to pause each time you resist reacting right away. Counting to 10 and pausing teaches our brains that we can pause and not be drawn into the yelling match.

Don’t be afraid to put parental controls on your television and other devices your child may have access to. While you may not be able to shield your child from everything, you can begin to set boundaries and establish guidelines for what is and what is not appropriate for them.