Anger Seizure in Children
Anger can be defined as an unwanted emotion that occurs when something is blocked.
ANGRY SEIZURE IN CHILDREN AND PARENT ATTITUDES
Anger can be defined as an unwanted emotion that occurs when something is blocked. Temper tantrums are common in children between the ages of 1.5 and 2.5 years. The child during a tantrum; exhibit behaviors such as shouting, screaming, crying, hitting, kicking, hitting his head, throwing himself to the ground.
The 2-year-old period is known as the child’s stubborn-contradiction period. This period is part of normal development and is characterized as the period of autonomy. During this period, children constantly want to explore the outside world and insist on autonomy-independence. They insist on doing everything on their own, pushing the boundaries set by their parents, resisting control. For example, he wants to eat his own food, to wear his own clothes, insists on buying what he wants. Temper tantrums often occur when his actions are restrained, unable to do and get what he wants. The most common reason for tantrums in 2-year-olds is that the desired behaviors are not allowed or postponed. Although the child wants to become autonomous-independence, he is dependent on his parents and realizing this situation causes him to have a tantrum. A tantrum can also be called a way for the child to express their independence. This behavior will be reinforced if the child manages to attract the attention of the family during the seizure or if the desired behavior is performed by the parents. Reinforcing children’s anger behaviors will cause the child to exhibit anger behaviors more often, and the child who learns to get what he wants in this way will continue to do this behavior.
What Should the Attitudes of the Parents Be During the Attack of Anger?
Following the behaviors of children that cause tantrums, determining who is next to them, when and why they exhibit these behaviors will prevent situations that cause this behavior.
During the seizure, parents should be patient, determined and calm. Since children will need calm and understanding parents during anger, it is important for parents to stay calm and not get angry in the face of children’s anger and to talk to the child in a calm and low tone.
It is important that parents teach their children to be good models and to deal with their emotions. How adults behave in the face of the problem, the child will take it as a model.
It is very important for parents to be clear and consistent in their attitudes. Once the child displays anger behaviors, he is rewarded once, punished once, or if he notices different attitudes between parents, he will be confused. For this reason, it is important for parents to be clear in their attitudes, for parents to reach a consensus on attitudes and act decisively. For example, when you go to the market for shopping, when the child insists on something he wants and exhibits angry behaviors, if he is given the opportunity to do what he wants to calm his anger, this behavior will be reinforced and the probability of exhibiting this behavior will be high every time.
Power struggle can be avoided by giving the child the right to decide on some issues. For example, “Do you want to play with your cars or do you want to paint?” alternative options may be presented.
When the child is told no for something they want, it should be explained why you don’t want them to do it. For example, instead of saying, “No, I don’t want you to eat candy,” explain the child, “I don’t want you to eat this candy right now because we’re going to eat soon and I don’t want your appetite to go away.”During a tantrum, the “break method” has an important place. If you are at home during the shift, it may be safer to move to another room, allowing time for both of you to calm down. In this process, trying to calm the child may work, but it may cause him to become even more angry. If he insists on buying something you don’t want while out of the house, for example, while shopping at the market and exhibits angry behavior, it would be a right behavior to remove the child from the environment and to come back when he calms down. Allowing the child to do whatever he/she wants to stop exhibiting these behaviors will reinforce this behavior and cause him/her to repeat the same behaviors every time.
It will be helpful to distract the child during a tantrum. The child can be shown another toy, the child can be directed to different objects and activities.
When children have difficulty in coping with their anger, they may experience adaptation-behavioral problems, display aggressive behaviors, and this may cause complaints from the school. This may also cause the child to have problems with academic and social relations. It is necessary to understand and direct this negative emotion experienced by the child. For this reason, it is important to consult a specialist and get psychological support in order to find the factor that causes the feeling of anger and provide the child with appropriate coping methods.
If the child exhibits frequent and prolonged temper tantrums, continues to have tantrums despite being over the age of 4, harms himself and those around him, and exhibits aggressive behavior, it is necessary to consult a specialist.