Boy and Dad

It's Okay to Be Mad

A workshop about dealing with our own anger and helping our children deal with theirs.
Deirdre Knowles, MA and Kay Batt, BA

General Information

When & Where; Scheduling information; Instructors; Course Description
Why come to this workshop?

Workshop Sampler

Basic Ideas

How Do You View Anger?

Skills for Solutions

General Information

When & Where

Location, date and time can be scheduled to fit your group's needs.

Scheduling information:

Contact dknowles@CounselingConnect.com

Instructors

Kay Batt is married and has over 30 years of parenting experience as a mother of three grown children. In addition, she has been a family educator and human relations instructor for more than 20 years. In that capacity she has provided workshops for families, volunteers and businesses in building better parenting, communications skills, anger management and conflict resolution. She has been a La Leche League Leader for 30 years, a group facilitator, a parent educator and sits on the Board of Directors for La Leche League International.

Deirdre Knowles has over twenty-five years experience working with parents and leading parent education and support groups. She received her M.A. in Psychology from Antioch University in 1992, where she concentrated in Family Systems. She studied Family Ministry at Regis University in Denver and also trained as a mediator. She conducts workshops throughout the state in parenting, personal growth, improving relationships, conflict management, and communication skills. She also has a private therapy practice in Renton, Washington, where she helps individuals, couples and families create more fulfilling lives. Knowles is the mother of five.

Course Description

Part 1 - Anger Overview
Defines anger and examines the way we view it. It also explores the styles of anger and what people do when they become angry.

Part 2 - Helping Children with their Anger.
Prevention: Learn how to keep their emotional tanks full and recognize the developmental stages of anger.
When Kids are Angry: Learn how to lower the emotional level, set clear limits, and identify needs versus wants. Also explore how to help children express those needs and discover creative problem solving.

Workshop includes bibliography for further study.

BRING YOUR QUESTIONS!

Why come to this workshop?

You will learn:

Ways to vent anger that lead toward solving the problem.
Identify the first emotion, in order to make better choices.
How to "Fix the problem, not the blame."
How to use communication skills to get what you need in constructiove ways.
When to intervene (and when not) in children's quarrels.
Use "sound bites" to help children (and adults) make changes.

Workshop Sampler

Basic Ideas

Anger is an intense desire for something to be different. It is an energy, not a behavior.
Anger isn't right or wrong. Our behavior when we're angry is what can cause problems.
Learning to manage our own anger more effectively is the best way to help children learn to handle theirs. (What we do speaks louder than what we say.)
When anger is out of proportion to the "trigger," it indicates there are underlying issues that need to be dealt with.
The skills presented are appropriate for all ages, from small children to adult.
The earlier we recognize the onset of anger, the easier it is to deal with.

How Do You View Anger?

Anger can serve positive purposes:

Vent energy

Signal a need for change

Get attention

especially my own - telling me something is bothering me

others' - if I get listened to when I am angry

Help to identify a problem, the first step to a solution.

Anger is a secondary motion - something else came first

Disappointment

Fear

Powerlessness

Loss

There are degrees of anger, some we may not think of as anger.

The sooner we notice it, the easier it is to deal with.

Skills for Solutions

Lower the emotional level.
Hear and respect feelings.
Identify the real issues.
Set limits on harmful behavior.
Find solutions that work--for everyone involved.

Article: "When You Feel a YELL Coming On..."

Questions, comments, suggestions? E-mail me at dknowles@counselingconnect.com.