When I'm Angry (The Language of Parenting, 2) (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Dr. Barbara Gardiner (Author) "SOMETIMES I'm so ANGRY..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-These books are designed to stimulate conversations between parent and child about the emotion designated in the title. Afraid includes familiar worries such as getting lost, going to the doctor, and falling asleep. In each case, an adult helps assuage the fears. Angry offers no explanation for the child's rage but concentrates on how the emotion affects the angry person and then suggests possible resolutions. The collage illustrations look like construction-paper creations made by the books' intended audience. Characters are yellow, orange, gray, red, and purple. The only person with hair is "mom." Each volume has an accompanying pamphlet for adults about how to help children cope with the targeted feeling. In it, psychologist Barbara Gardiner offers practical suggestions about helping children of different ages deal with emotions and includes sections on when to seek help for extremely fearful and/or angry youngsters. Libraries with a demand for bibliotherapy might consider purchasing these titles, but they would be best placed on the parenting shelves. The picture books themselves are chiefly means to therapeutic ends.
Kathy Piehl, Mankato State University, MN
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

Often children are frightened and confused by their own angry feelings. They need to be reassured that this emotion is a normal part of life. When I'm Angry, one of the first books in the Language of Parenting series, explains this difficult subject in a completely original and practical way. Jane Aaron's boldly illustrated children's book features simple language and vivid imaged that capture a child's attention. Depicting kids in typical situation that evoke anger, the illustrations help children realize that others not only experience the same feelings, but find positive ways to cope with them.

Because it is often difficult to talk with children about such abstract concepts as feelings, When I'm Angry includes a guide for parents written by respected therapist Dr. Barbara Gardiner. A Parent's Guide to Anger shows parents how to use When I'm Angry to interact with their children and conduct meaningful dialogue specific to the needs of children at different ages. Parents are asked to validate their child's feelings and share their own similar experiences with anger as starting points for discussion. Dr. Gardiner pinpoint some common situations and how to deal with them:
--fight over toys.
--"hating" a sibling.
--frustration over losing a game.

Dr. Gardiner's Language of Parenting is based on the fundamental ABC' of parenting: acknowledging a child's feelings (accepting anger and directing it appropriately), having age-appropriate behavioral expectations (a two-year old should be able to sit at the table without throwing food), and demonstrating consistency in parenting style (maintaining house rules such as bedtime). She emphasizes the importance of allowing children to generate their own solutions.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 36 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press (April 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307440192
• ISBN-13: 978-0307440198
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #922,373 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful!, November 7, 2002

By	Nicole Church (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

As a mother of two, and child psychologist, I highly recommend this book. My 3 year old daughter loves it. The first time I read it to her, she laughed uproariously while also seeming somewhat shocked. Basically, the book normalizes the experience of a kid's anger, making it safe, o.k., and offering a positive way to picture calming down. I think my daughter feels less guilty about getting angry, and realizes other kids feel the same way sometimes. Now she reads the book outloud (having basically memorized it) and uses lots of animated voices and gestures.
A total hit for us!

1.0 out of 5 stars Conclusion misses the point, November 28, 2003

By	Pamela J. Weadick "NYC" (USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The message young children need to have reinforced is that it's okay to be angry but not okay to act-out that anger. This message gets lost at the end of the book.Rather than reinforce this message in the books conclusion, the author ends with "it's okay to be angry sometimes , but it feels good to stop being angry,too." I think the final message should read something like this: "But it's never Okay to shout or hit someone because you feel angry".

2 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kids really respond to this book., March 8, 1999

By A Customer

I read this book to my 4-year-old son who was absolutely riveted by it. He asked me to read it to him time and again. It's the first book he learned to "read" (the way 4-year-olds read -- he memorized it and then read it aloud). He then brought it to nursery school and read it to his class.