Your Child’s Anger Might Be Fear in Disguise
When Is Your Child’s Anger Not Really Anger? Imagine this: Your child’s school calls about an outburst, or you witness a sudden explosion of anger at home. As a parent, you’re baffled by how disproportionate their reaction seems to the apparent trigger. Your instinct might be to discipline your child or lecture them about controlling their anger. But what if anger isn’t really the root cause? Often, the real cause of a child’s anger is something that, to them, feels a lot like anger but is actually FEAR. I see this frequently when I do child therapy, Anger and outbursts in children can often mask underlying fear and anxiety. Understanding this connection is crucial for effectively supporting and guiding your child through their emotional challenges. Here are the key reasons and mechanisms by which anger can serve as a mask for a child’s fear. Why Does Fear Manifest as Anger? There are four reasons fear often manifests as anger: 1. Fight or Flight Response Children’s b...