When Kids Are Mad, Not Bad

Anger is ``natural, normal and appropriate'' and is a problem ``only when we can't handle our... feelings constructively.'' So says Paul, a psychiatrist with a family and child practice. Anger is a response, he points out, that is nearly always triggered by a sense of helplessness, the cause of which is usually apparent after observing an angry child, and--if she or he is verbal--listening. While reassuring readers with such statements as, ``You will never be completely free of causing anger in others because this is part of being human,'' the author offers concrete yet compassionate suggestions for ameliorating the behavior of both participants in clashes between parent and child. Leavened by anecdotes from his clinical practice and scenarios of typical familial interchanges, this eminently practical guide should prove invaluable to parents and others who work with children. (Mar.)