In this episode of the podcast, I talk about how to support our children when they are being aggressive or hurtful. I acknowledge how hard it is when our children behave in these ways, biting, hitting, grabbin, hurting or shouting. I explain why children are sometimes aggressive and hurtful and what it tells us about what our children are feeling and needing. I explain the many ways that aggressive behaviour is misunderstood in our culture and how trauma and accumulated feelings push our children into hyperarousal which then can cause them to be aggressive.

I describe in detail how Aware Parenting shows us how to support our children at these times by having a compassionate understanding of why they are aggressive, creating the emotional safety they need to heal, by listening to feelings, by offering attachment play, by having non-punitive discipline and by offering loving limits.

I talk about how vital it is for us to get support too, to explore our beliefs, to receive listening to our feelings about the present and from our unhealed trauma from the past and to get our needs met.

If you would like support to help your child with aggression, I offer 1 to 1 sessions where we can dive deep into all this. I highly recommend reading Aletha Solter’s books, particularly Healing your Traumatised Child and Attachment Play.