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Angry people should steer clear of caring for innocent children. Even children who happen to be problematic don't' deserve roles forcing them to serve as some adult's punching bag. Single parents may find it more difficult not to misplace their anger on their kids because they have no backup. They cannot say wait till your other parent' gets home. No other parent is coming home. The problems at hand are in the single parent's hands and that is that.

Avoiding taking your anger out on your kids may, at times, require giving yourself a timeout. Since your kids are unlikely to send you to your room or make you sit in a corner, you're going to have to discipline yourself. This isn't so bad really. Self discipline under these circumstances can include things like bubble baths, reclining with magazines and cups of tea or chocolate, listening to favorite music, even spending time with hobbies like crocheting and gardening.

If your children are too young to leave your sight, you'll have to calm yourself in their presence to make sure they're safe. This can be easy to do if you have them sit down with their favorite snacks and coloring books or games they can play without your assistance. If the children are old enough to fend for themselves, let them go to their rooms to do homework or watch television or whatever else you allow them to do in their rooms.

If you find that you're angry all the time, so to speak, you may need to seek counseling. Professional counselors can help you tap into why you're feeling so angry. Discovering why we're angry is not always an easy task. But once we get to the root of our anger we can discern ways to get rid of it. Once we rid ourselves anger it no longer serves as a threat to our kids.

Whether or not you're seeking counseling, if ever you find yourself too revved up to control your anger, and no other adult is available to help you, get on the phone and call for help. Call your mom. Call your dad. Call a sister a brother or a voice on a hotline, even the children's absent parent if he/she is a good parent. The main thing is that you not be too embarrassed to call someone.

Avoiding taking anger out on kids isn't always easy. But preventing yourself from misplacing your anger can be practiced and improved. A good thing to bring to the forefront of your mind when you feel anger seeping into your body is that those children are 'your' children - a part of you. You love them and want them to be happy just as you love yourself and want yourself to be happy.

Learn more about this author, R. Renee Bembry.
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