<\/p>\n
by Hope Nelson Many parents are familiar with a scene like this one: It\u2019s after dinner, and the kids are doing their homework. From the other room, you hear a groan, then a shout of, \u201cThis is just so hard!\u201d Your child is frustrated.<\/p>\n What is your first instinct in this situation? Is it to jump up and help your child right away? Or do you let them try to figure it out on their own? Perhaps you encourage them to take a break or a few deep breaths before they start again.<\/p>\n Both children and adults can find it difficult to deal with frustration. Fortunately, you can walk alongside your child while teaching them vital life skills that will serve them for years to come. Each time your child encounters a challenge that frustrates them, you have a chance to show God\u2019s love to them through your words and actions. Following are some tips to help.<\/p>\n It can be tempting to step in and do whatever you can to \u201csolve\u201d your child\u2019s problem immediately. And for good reason. Frustration isn\u2019t a fun emotion, even if you\u2019re not the one experiencing it! Children may express their frustration by crying, shouting, or avoiding tasks, which can affect everyone in the household. However, helping children build independent problem-solving skills is important. This can be done by letting them try different ways to solve a frustration on their own before stepping in to assist.<\/p>\n When your child is frustrated, chances are you may be frustrated too, but keep in mind that your demeanor has the potential to serve as a powerful model to them. Focus on how you model calm behavior to your child. Take deep breaths, speak slowly and calmly, and show your child what it looks like to stay in control in difficult situations.<\/p>\n As a parent, it\u2019s likely that you\u2019ll notice patterns of frustration in your child. Does frustration usually arise during homework time? When they\u2019re playing a sport? When they have to wait for something they want? Upon noticing these patterns, point them out to your child gently, after the situation has ended. By understanding and naming your child\u2019s triggers, you\u2019ll teach them to recognize them on their own over time.<\/p>\n Many times, the most helpful thing that parents can do for a frustrated child is listen to them. Encourage your child to label their emotions and reflect on how these emotions affect each person involved in the situation. Once again, talk after a frustrating situation. Discussing how to handle big emotions in the midst of an overwhelming experience isn\u2019t going to stick. In the moment, listen to what your child is saying and help them use their self-regulatory skills to persevere.<\/p>\n Coping skills are a way to help your child be proactive with their frustrations. Practice deep breathing, counting to ten, taking a short break, or other strategies with your child before their frustration boils over. These skills can help your child persevere through homework assignments, sports games, and other challenging experiences requiring patience and calm. Also remind them of God\u2019s promises and stories in the Bible that demonstrate others overcoming challenges and frustration.<\/p>\n Parenting a frustrated child can be difficult, especially in the moment. When considering your child\u2019s reactions to possible stressors, keep God\u2019s Word in mind and \u201ctrain up a child in the way he should go.\u201d (Proverbs 22:6). Focus on your child\u2019s existing autonomous problem-solving skills, keep yourself calm, and offer a listening ear. Then, when times are calmer, teach coping skills, reflect together on your child\u2019s emotions, and understand what triggers them to frustration in the first place.<\/p>\n Above all, remember that \u201ceveryone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry\u201d (James 1:19). As you guide your child with patience and grace, you’re shaping the heart for years to come.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n For further reading:<\/span><\/p>\n Child Mind Institute: How to help children calm down by Hope NelsonThis article is also available as a\u00a0printable download. Many parents are familiar with a scene like this one: It\u2019s after dinner, and the kids are doing their homework. From the other room, you hear a groan, then a shout of, \u201cThis is just so hard!\u201d Your child is frustrated. What is your first<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13357,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[897,72,585,3843,2104,2241,3844],"class_list":{"0":"post-13356","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-christian-living","8":"tag-children","9":"tag-christian","10":"tag-family","11":"tag-frustration","12":"tag-handle","13":"tag-helping","14":"tag-solutions"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13356","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13356"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13356\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13357"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13356"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13356"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13356"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
This article is also available as a\u00a0printable download<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n1. Don\u2019t immediately try to fix the problem.<\/h4>\n
2. Model calm behaviors.<\/h4>\n
3. Understand your child\u2019s triggers.<\/h4>\n
4. Listen and reflect.<\/h4>\n
5. Teach coping skills.<\/h4>\n
Children’s Health Council: How to teach frustration tolerance to kids
K12 Tutoring: Helping children handle frustration in elementary school
Story Book: 11 best activities to help children manage frustration<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"