Music Friday: David Tobocman & 8 Ideas to Deal With Anger

David Tobocman has a great song called I Count to Ten. 
                                   

This song is about "cooling down" when you are angry. Learning about feelings and how to deal with strong emotions can be a very challenging thing. It is very helpful to have some plans about what to do when you are feeling one of those strong emotions such as anger (usually rooted in sadness), sadness, and excitement. 

One thing that has been a great help to us is music in general. Singing and dancing can change the mood very quickly and create a lot of fun or allow to be very expressive with our bodies and the volume of our voice. One great thing about this song in particular is it gives us some training in another plan for what to do when strong emotions arise AND helps identify what we are feeling like when we are starting to get angry. 

                                          
 

Catching those feelings before we act of them or get overwhelmed by them is one thing that really helps in calming down from them. My son and I sat down a while ago and talked about what things might help him to feel better when he is feeling angry or sad. 

Here are a few ideas:

• Coloring: Keep a small notebook and a small container of colored pencils or markers around at all times, in your purse or where ever you can. 

• Dancing to music: Stomp out the feelings, jump up and down if you are excited, twirl, etc. 

• Sit and Read a book: This is especially helpful for my son if I read to him, just looking at books on his own is not really enough he wants to feel my care for him. Since I am trying to train him in how to effectively deal with anger and feel better not worse I am okay with this. 

• Go outside and hit/kick a ball around. 
• Do a Puzzle

• Play with playdoh. 

• Ask for a hug. 

• Play with Legos. 

Music is one great way to deal with strong emotions like excitement.

Most of these things work really well and work best if he knows that I am there for him either by giving him a good long hug before he goes to do them or sitting with him while he does it. 

Here are a couple of great feelings books too. 

                                           

                                            
                                            
                                            
This last one is one that teaches about how emotions might look and feel but is covert about it. All the different dinosaurs are very different personalities that can help to show how people are different and how each person can have a variety of actions depending how they are feeling.

What do you do to help your kids deal with anger, sadness, excitement and other emotions?