ABSTRACT
As we’ve discussed so far, not only is it possible to slow things down and put your child’s experience into words before intervening, doing so can prevent emotions from escalating to the point of total meltdown. But there are exceptions. What if it all happened too quickly to attend to the first signs of their distress or you turn the corner and they are hurting themselves or others? In instances of aggression in particular, getting practical may have to come first to ensure everyone’s safety. Sometimes the line is obvious (serious physical fighting) and sometimes it’s not (throwing a pillow around the room). Parents have to make their own decision about what’s considered serious enough to require immediate action. It can also depend on your child’s needs. In some families, throwing a pillow is not okay, but for another family, this may be acceptable because it’s a step in the right direction from throwing breakable objects and unlikely to cause serious harm. So how can you still help your child with difficult emotions even in the case of aggressive behavior? Let’s go through a scenario to illustrate.
