TPP 389: Ginger Whitson on Helping Kids Navigate Feeling Angry

Today, we're diving into a topic that will probably resonate with every parent: helping kids navigate the complex emotion of anger. And to explore this critical topic, I’m excited to welcome back the insightful Ginger Whitson, who will share her expertise while we discuss her book How to Be Angry: Strategies to Help Kids Express Anger Constructively.

We know that anger is a normal, natural, and physiological experience that all human beings are born with the capacity to feel. Yet many neurodivergent kids struggle with knowing how to experience and express their anger constructively, and they are in need of strategies and non-shaming guidance rather than what so often happens – they are punished for their behavior. So that’s what we get into in this episode — why anger in children can be so uncomfortable for adults to tolerate or respond to, strategies for teaching children alternatives to aggression, violence, or passive behavior, name assertiveness, the importance of adults stepping in as calm presences to help regulate a child's emotions and foster healthy coping mechanisms, and more.

By equipping our kids with these tools, we can support their emotional development and help them navigate their feelings more effectively. Enjoy this wisdom-packed episode with Ginger Whitson.

About Ginger Whitson

Signe Whitson (Ginger) is a licensed social worker and international educator on topics related to child & adolescent mental health. She is the author of seven books, including How to Be Angry: Strategies to Help Kids Express Anger Constructively. Ginger is also the Dean of Students at a K-8 school in northeastern Massachusetts and the COO of the Life Space Crisis Intervention Institute.

Things you'll learn

• Why anger is a normal, natural, and physiological experience that all human beings are born with the capacity to feel
• How the way individuals perceive events determines whether they feel anger, and why it varies from person to person
• Why children who are aggressive or have difficulty managing their anger need adults to help them learn skills to express their anger constructively, rather than being punished for their behavior
• Why being a calm presence for an angry child essential for helping them regulate their emotions and develop healthy coping mechanisms
• How teaching children assertiveness skills and providing them with alternatives to aggression, violence, or passive behavior contributes to their emotional development

Resources mentioned

• Signe Whitson’s website
• How to Be Angry: Strategies to Help Kids Express Anger Constructively by Signe Whitson
• Life Space Crisis Intervention Institute
• 8 Keys to End Bullying on Facebook
• 8 Keys to End Bullying: Strategies for Parents & Schools by Signe Whitson
• The 8 Keys to End Bullying Activity Book for Kids & Tweens: Worksheets, Quizzes, Games, & Skills for Putting the Keys Into Action by Signe Whitson 
• Dr. Megan Anna Neff and Dr. Debra Brause on the Question: Does Traditional Therapy Work for Neurodivergent Kids? (Tilt Parenting episode)
• Dr. Mona Delahooke on the Power of Brain-Body Parenting (Tilt Parenting episode)
• Raising Good Humans with Mindful Mentor Mama Hunter Clarke-Fields (Tilt Parenting episode)
• Dr. Lori Desautels on Rethinking Our Perceptions of Discipline in Schools and at Home (Tilt Parenting episode)

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