What is an acceptable way to express anger for a 5 year old?

Question

Someone told me to try to let him break pencils and see if that works. Anybody got any ideas?

Answer 1

Breaking pencils is a horrible idea, for a few main reasons:

1. He could get injured

2. It may teach him that destroying property is OK

Not a good idea at all.

Answer 2

let him kick someone's a$$

Answer 3

I let my daughter go and scream in her pillow and punch it but she knows she can only hit her pillow.

My sister tells my nephew to run around the back yard screaming until all his anger is out and it works for him.

I don't think I would let him break things in anger that is a fine line on what you can and cannot break and honestly if he has a temper problem you could be buying a lot of pencils.

Edit:  I just had an idea I answered your other question and stated I work in a Resource Room actually I am 1-1 with a special ed student, she holds a piece of play doh (not really play doh it is to hold paper up on walls without tacks etc.) and squishes it when she is upset. So what about just letting him squish play doh? It is cheap and he could just squish and squish it. I think I would even like doing that when I am mad.

Answer 4

Won't he talk about it? my 5 y/o son talks it out - but then he could win gold at the Olympics if talking was a sport.

Have you tried going on walks with him if he gets stressy? I take Dylan out if he is getting overly crabby - is that your black lab in the pic? grab the dog and go walking instead, anger is ok, but not  a lot of it and outbursts are unhealthy. Dealing with the situation is better. That works for me too, me and my lab would rather walk then get in a fight with someone.