Episode 89: On parenting- it’s okay to be mad.

It’s Okay to Be Mad Nobody wants an angry kid. We want our children to be happy, cooperative, and able to handle disappointment without falling apart. But what if, in our effort to help them, we sometimes send the wrong message about anger? In this episode of Todd Talk, we’re talking about why it’s okay to be mad—it’s just not okay to stay mad. Anger is a feeling, just like happiness, sadness, fear, and excitement. It comes and goes. It doesn't always need a solution, an explanation, or even an end result. We don't have to turn our anger into revenge, retaliation, or a mission to make someone pay for what they did. We also take a closer look at something parents say all the time: “You’re okay.” When a child falls down, gets hurt, or becomes upset, our instinct is often to reassure them by telling them they're fine. But how do we actually know? Instead of telling children how they feel, perhaps we should give them the opportunity to tell us. Most importantly, this episode is about teaching children the tools they need to navigate difficult emotions rather than simply teaching them to avoid those emotions. Our kids don't need to see us as people who never get angry. They need to see what it looks like to work through anger without allowing it to control us. Because the emotional skills we teach our children today may become the tools they rely on when life gets considerably harder tomorrow. It's okay to be angry. Feel it. Acknowledge it. Walk through it. And eventually, let it go.