Prince Harry has said he thinks parents should deal with their anger in the same way his and everyone else's children do, by embracing a 'moment of frustration' and expressing anger in 'outbursts.'
- Prince Harry has revealed he allows his children to have 'outbursts' of 'frustration' and doesn't try to control their emotions.
- He added that parents should learn from their kids' outbursts and deal with their anger in a similar way, even it that just means screaming into 'your pillow.'
- In other royal news, Royal expert warns Prince Harry and Meghan Markle that their children could feel ‘trapped’ in America for this poignant reason.
Is there any one perfect way to deal with toddler tantrums? If anyone knows it, please share with the group!
While every child is different and the reasons for any particular outburst can vary dramatically, Prince Harry has shared some advice on how he deals with those tricky times when gentle parenting feels like a distant memory and you just can't get the shouting to stop.
Speaking during a live streamed event about personal healing with the author Dr Gabor Maté earlier this year, Harry was asked by a fan if he had any advice on how to raise children to be 'kind, emphatic, and humble humans.'
In response, the Prince shared how he makes sure to allow his children, Prince Archie, four, and Princess Lilibet, two, to feel the full scope of their emotions and work through them in healthy ways, especially when they’re frustrated about something.
He said, "If they have a moment of frustration, allow them to have that, and then talk to them about it afterwards. When they start and you say, ‘Do not do that,’ that’s not helping."
He then shared that he believes parents could learn how to better deal with their own emotions, particularly anger, in a similar way. He said, “More of us as adults should be encouraged to have these outbursts, even if it’s into your pillow” before adding that that is 'a practice [he] would love to be able to get into.'
Elsewhere in the livestream, Harry shared his belief that it's vitally important that children feel 'love' in their household and said that children can sense when the atmosphere between their parents is tense.
He revealed, “If you ever have a disagreement or you realise the energy is off between the two of you…If you have the ability to be able to, take it to a different room."
He shared that him and Meghan never argue in front of their kids as he has bad memories of watching his parents fight and doesn't want to recreate that scene for his own family.
As well as simply avoiding 'arguments,' Harry also revealed that he goes out of his way to ensure his children understand the love he has for them but sometimes goes a bit overboard with fussing over them.
After talking about the lack of physical touch he received as a child, he said, "It leaves me in the position now, as a father of two kids of my own, to make sure that I smother them with love and affection.
"Not smother them to the point where they’re trying to get away and I’m like, ‘No, come here I need to hug you'.
“I, as a father, feel a huge responsibility that I don’t pass on any traumas, or any I guess negative experiences, that I’ve had as a kid or as a man growing up, and that’s work. That’s putting in the work and that’s daily being cautious of my behaviour and my reactions to both of my kids.”
