Ask Dr. Woodchuck

Dear George,

A lot of children (and even adults!) have a tough time controlling their anger so you're definitely not alone. Sometimes it can be helpful to punch a pillow or pound clay when you're feeling angry. If this makes your anger worse, imagine a place that makes you feel calm while you are practicing your big balloon breaths. Once you find a way to make your anger go down, it will definitely feel a lot less scary.

Here is a worksheet that will help you find other things to do when you're feeling angry.

Dear Milton,

I can understand how a bad test grade can lead to a bad mood. Whenever I am in a bad mood, I try to give myself time and space to cool off before I feel comfortable talking to others because I know it's not fair to take my anger out on them. Remember, Milton, the more you are aware of your own anger and what makes you angry, the better you can control your anger.

It might be helpful to start by figuring out where you feel the anger in your body. This worksheet well help you locate your anger.

Dear Winston,

Sometimes we lose our temper when we are hungry, tired, or both hungry and tired. Try to check in with your body to see if that might be the case when you're feeling angry. Other times we might lose our temper when there is a change and we don't expect it or when we feel like we don't have a choice. If you notice these are some reasons why you lose your temper, let your parents know! If it's still hard to control your temper, it might be helpful to meet with a therapist to talk about what might be underneath all the anger.

Here is a worksheet that's all about things that can make you angry.

Dear Rutherford,

I can understand how annoying little brothers can be! While you can't really change your brother, you can change how you react to him when he's making you angry. First, you want to figure out what happens to your body when you start to get angry. For some people, their heart beats faster. For others, their fists start to clench. Once you've figured out what happens to your body when you feel angry, it might be helpful to go to a different room from your brother and calm down before you try talking to him again.

This worksheet will help you locate the anger in your body.