My 4yo is a great kid - she’s enthusiastic, kind, polite, and her emotional intelligence often surprises me.
However she has struggled recently with rage - which has led to anything from full blown tantrums, to spitting, to shoving, to slamming doors, in our houses and other people’s, upsetting other kids.
Immediately afterwards she is distraught, crying and wanting to say sorry. How can I help her in the moment to not lose her temper so much? I know total emotional regulation is impossible for anyone, let alone a 4 year old, but she seems more prone to it than her friends and I worry for her that other parents or the kids won’t want to be around her. I’ve never had an incident where one of her friends has hit her etc though aware this is not uncommon!
It’s not that she is necessarily causing the situations that lead to these outbursts. It’s just she has a huge reaction to normal kid stuff eg someone not sharing something.
I have asked her to come and tell me or another grown up if something happens, to take a big breath etc but in the moment she completely loses it.
To say again, I’m not saying it’s not age appropriate to have rage, or not be able to emotionally regulate, I just want to support her through the frequency and severity of it. Any tips appreciated!