In this episode, we consider a question from a mom who is worried about her young son’s outbursts of temper. We discuss ways to guide children who struggle with rage and volatility and list three steps to help children gain control of their big feelings and emotions.
Here’s the question:
“My 7-year-old child has started saying things like ‘I hate you’ and ‘I wish I was dead’ when he is angry and upset. His rage escalates when he’s upset, and it scares me. I guess I’m both fearful for him, and honestly, frustrated by his outbursts. Bad interactions with him drain all of my energy and upset his two siblings. I’m worried this behavior will get worse with time and that he will grow up to be someone who can’t control his emotions. When do I need to worry that he’ll actually hurt himself or others? And what can I do to help him? And all of us?”
For more resources and discussion questions, visit GrowingConnected.com
On each Growing Connected podcast, husband and wife team Dr. Jeffrey Olrick and Amy Olrick discuss a listener-submitted question, exploring what the intersection of child development science and faith teach us about issues families are facing. Each episode ends with a God Moment — a story about a time a parent or a child felt God's love in their life in a specific and sometimes inexplicable way.
Child psychologist Dr. Jeffrey Olrick and author Amy Olrick are co-authors of the book, The 6 Needs of Every Child: Empowering Parents & Kids through the Science of Connection. Together they run GrowingConnected.com, where they share faith-affirming and scientifically grounded information for parents and kids. They live in New Zealand with their three children.