Dealing with angry children is enough to make any parent upset. Raising our voices only makes matters worse than they are. It is more effective to assess the issue: How serious is the situation? What can you, as a parent, do to ensure that your children are being listened to and heard? How can you step in without becoming angry yourself? Reassuming parental responsibility once we achieve sobriety presents a dramatic change that our children may not welcome and we may be ill-equipped to handle. The information in this multi-format program helps those of us who are parents recovering from substance abuse. Produced by Hazelden. (17 minutes)

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Introduction: Handling Anger (01:30)
Living clean and sober can be difficult with the extra time and demands of children. By improving parenting skills, a loving and trusting relationship is formed. In the early part of recovery anger can be a stumbling block to improving family relations.

Identifying and Understanding Our Anger (04:10)

A mother and daughter fight over a jacket. The mother recognizes her anger getting out of control and takes a moment to cool off. When children are being unreasonable they are trying to send a message. Hitting only fuels the cycle of disrespect.

Handling Our Children's Anger (03:29)

It is important to evaluate the level of a child's anger before taking action. A mother steps in when her teenage children are fighting over a bike. She uses the CALM method; calm, ask, listen, then mend.

Preventing Angry Interactions (03:18)

When someone is hungry, angry, lonely, or tired it is harder to control feelings. Children need to have basic needs met. The need for attention, approval, and good advice are harder to identify. A simple apology helps a child feel respected and important.

Basics of Good Communication (03:26)

By following guidelines anger can be a useful way of letting children know they are out of line. Explain why you are angry. Don't belittle children. Use "I" statements. Stay focused on current problem; do not bring up the past.

Credits: The Real Life Parenting Skills Program: Handling Anger (00:12)

Credits: The Real Life Parenting Skills Program: Handling Anger