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Outbursts of anger in children
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Outbreaks of anger are strong emotional outbursts, usually in response to disappointment in expectations.
Outbreaks of anger usually occur near the end of the first year of life, most often between the ages of 2 ("terrible two-year-olds") and 4 years, rarely seen after 5 years of age. If outbreaks of anger in a child older than 5 years develop often, they can persist throughout childhood.
Reasons include disappointment in expectations, fatigue and hunger. Also, children may have such outbreaks if they want to attract attention, get something or avoid doing something. Parents often blame themselves for these outbreaks (due to imaginary inadequate parental care and parenting), although the true reason is often a combination of a child's personality, immediate circumstances and normal for his age of behavior. Mental, physical or social problems rarely cause outbursts of anger, but are likely if the seizure lasts more than 15 minutes or occurs many times a day daily.
Outbursts of anger may include screaming, crying, rolling on the floor, stomping with feet and scattering objects. The face of the child can blush, he can kick and kick. Some children may deliberately hold their breath for a few seconds, and then return to normal breathing (as opposed to breath-holding attacks).
In order to stop the outbreak, parents should simply and persistently ask the child to do so. If the child does not stop and if his behavior is violent enough, the child can simply be physically carried away. In this case, the time-out technique can be very effective.
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