I Show Respect for Myself When I Control My Anger

Prior Preparation:

Bring an apple, a toy car, and a picture of a boy. Prepare the chalkboard by writing "Consequences of Anger." Write the following on slips of paper:

• Causes us to lose the power to reason and think clearly
• Causes blood pressure to rise
• Causes the heart to beat faster and a great increase in the acid secretion in the stomach
• Can destroy friendships
• Can make us look foolish
• Can be dangerous
• Keeps us from having the Spirit of the Lord

Sharing Time

Hold up the apple. Is the apple in charge of where it grows? How big it gets? Or when it is eaten?

Hold up the toy car. Tell the children to pretend it is a real car. Does a car control if it's built or not? Where it goes, or how dirty it gets?

Hold up the picture of the boy. Does a child have control of who he is? (Yes & No) Can he decide what type of person he'll be?

There are times when decisions are made for us and other times when we can decide for ourselves.

Have children come up and draw one of the slips of paper. Is this a consequence of anger, or no? (They all are.)

Controlling anger is a way you can show love for yourselves. Anger can cause a great deal of harm to ourselves, as well as others. Suggestions to help control anger:

1. Think how you'll feel if you do what the anger prompts you to do.
2. Do something physical; i.e. going on a bike ride.
3. Think about what Brigham Young said, "Do  not get so angry you cannot pray. If you find passion coming on you, go off to some place where you cannot be heard; let none of your family see you or hear you, while it is upon you, but struggle till it leaves you, and pray for strength to overcome."
4. Sing a song. Sing a Primary song to chase anger away. Another suggestion is the following song:
1. If you're angry and you know it, stop and think.
2. If you're angry and you know it, stop and think.
3. If you're angry and you know it, then you're face will surely show it.
4. If you're angry and you know it, stop and think. (In place of "stop and think," you could use: run around, take a walk, kick a ball, say I'm wrong, or count to ten.)