Visual to help kids recognize feelings and promote mental fitness and resilience.

The Anger Thermometer

Anger is a normal (and common) emotion that just about everyone experiences from time to time. But angry reactions aren’t always helpful or easy to control—especially for kids who are still learning how to manage big feelings. One strategy to help your kids cope with their anger with greater resilience is to teach them how to recognize it before it takes over. Try using HPRC’s “anger thermometer” to help guide your discussion and strengthen family communication.

Published on: November 22, 2017

References

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Lunkenheimer, E. S., Shields, A. M., & Cortina, K. S. (2007). Parental emotion coaching and dismissing in family interaction. Social Development, 16(2), 232–248. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9507.2007.00382.x

Morland, L. A., Love, A. R., Mackintosh, M.-A., Greene, C. J., & Rosen, C. S. (2012). Treating anger and aggression in military populations: Research updates and clinical implications. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 19(3), 305–322. doi:10.1111/cpsp.12007

Morris, A. S., Silk, J. S., Steinberg, L., Myers, S. S., & Robinson, L. R. (2007). The role of the family context in the development of emotion regulation. Social Development, 16(2), 361–388. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9507.2007.00389.x

Scrimgeour, M. B., Davis, E. L., & Buss, K. A. (2016). You get what you get and you don’t throw a fit!: Emotion socialization and child physiology jointly predict early prosocial development. Developmental Psychology, 52(1), 102–116. doi:10.1037/dev0000071

Straits-Troster, K., Mann-Wrobel, M., & Simmons, E. M. (2012). Emotions and their impact on families. In N. D. Ainspan & W. Penk (Eds.), When the Warrior Returns: Making the Transition at Home (pp. 52–64). Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press.

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