My 7 year old (nearly 8) is having anger issues at the moment and I am at a loss as to how to deal with it. He is a sweet, caring and helpful boy most of the time. But when he perceives that he has been "wronged", he explodes with anger.
We had an incident in the park today (which I did not witness but another parent told me what happened) where a mum told him off (wrongly) for doing something and he shouted in her face that he did not do it and then burst into explosive angry crying. When I tried to tackle him about it and calm him down, he hit me! I was so shocked by both the things he did, I had no idea what to do.
In the end, we have taken away all his books (he is an avid reader and loves them) and he is going to be able to earn one back each half day for controlling his anger.
But the thing I am asking for help with is HOW to teach him to control it. I spent ages talking to him today about how life is going to be full of incidents where things either don't go to plan or something happens to him that is unjust. And it is ok to be angry about it, but it is NOT ok to react in the way he is doing.
I desperately need to teach him strategies for dealing with his anger and welcome suggestions. Mostly, I need help for when we are not at home as at home it is so much more easily dealt with as he either takes himself off to his room to read (stamping all the way there) or if things are bad enough, I send him to stand by the front door until he calms down. When out, things just seems to escalate so quickly.