4 Causes Of Anger In Children
The fact that young children have occasional tantrums is completely normal. The confrontation with limits is necessary for their development, although for them this is difficult to accept. However, the causes of rabies in children can be diverse.
Sometimes what appears to be a defiant attitude is actually something else. It is important to find the reason for anger to help children in their healthy growth.
Crying, anger, and even bolder attitudes such as hitting, biting, spitting, or swearing are all expected of anger in children. However, in addition to knowing the possible causes, it is good to pay attention to other behavioral signs to detect situations that need more attention.
Typical Causes of Anger in Children
1. Difficulty in detecting and expressing one’s feelings
If in adulthood it is difficult to express one’s feelings through sensible words, it is perfectly expected that this will also happen with the little ones. The difference is that children expect adults to understand them.
Used to having all their basic needs met by their parents or guardians, children assume that adults will also be able to deal with the sadness or boredom they feel. If those who take care of them are distracted, busy, or just don’t understand them, anger will show up.
The good news is that there are now many resources to help children express what they are feeling. There is a varied list of children’s stories, in which different characters go through situations of anger, joy, sadness, etc.
2. Lack of attention
Children need to be heard. Some adults seem to believe that childhood is an insignificant stage in people’s lives. As if being a child did not imply specific difficulties, needs and desires.
Children need to feel loved, and the way they feel affection is when they get attention. Playing with parents or caregivers is essential for little ones, just as feeling support in the face of fears, injuries and insecurities is vital for development.
Not having this need met is one of the most frequent causes of anger in children. If the little ones don’t get attention simply by being there, they will look for other ways to get it.
3. Frustration
Another cause of anger in children is frustration with an event that causes them anguish or disappointment. This is related to the formation of the ego and the evolutionary stages of the human being.
From the age of two to six or seven, children can be self-centered and want everything for themselves: winning games, being the center of attention, coming first, and so on. However, in a kind way, we must show them the presence of others and their needs, which are equal to theirs.
This learning process is more difficult for some children, especially if they don’t receive the necessary attention or if they have difficulty expressing their feelings. All causes for anger are related to each other, and they all deserve the familiar dialog for the child to learn to manage their own discontent.
4. Simple tiredness
Especially in younger children, lack of rest is one of the most common causes of anger. A healthy routine, which respects the hours of sleep needed for each age, is essential for a good quality of life.
Faced with this lack of sleep, the child’s tools to deal with frustration, lack of attention, and difficulty expressing feelings will be even more limited.
It’s not just the body that needs to recover energy with rest. Children’s brains also require a certain amount of rest in order to function, learn and fully develop.
Causes for Anger in Children That Deserving More Attention
As a child grows older, he learns to control his anger more effectively. However, it can also happen that anger builds up over time. Below is a list of cases where it is convenient to investigate, talk, and perhaps seek professional help for the little ones.
- Aggressive behavior with risks to their own physical integrity or that of others.
- Difficulty of integration in school or social environments.
- Impossibility to play and have fun with colleagues.
- ‘Exaggerated’ anger in relation to age.
- Permanent challenge to parental authority.
In these cases, what the children are expressing is a symptom of a suffering they cannot face. But this does not necessarily represent a disturbance or the need for mediation. Initially, it is the responsibility of parents to increase their understanding, listening and support.
