Reddit mentions of Little Dinos Don't Hit

>As always, we talked about what to do when angry, how it's okay to say "I'm angry!" yell it even, but it's never okay to hit, throw shoes, bite, kick. I have this conversation with him at least twice a day. But he actually does that (says I'm angry instead of violence) maybe once a month.

Sounds like you're doing all the right things, but I think that's pretty normal for a 3yo - it takes a lot of self-control to be able to use words instead of acting on your anger! Have you tried talking about how to appropriately handle anger at times when he's not angry? Maybe reading some books that show appropriate expression of anger? I'll copy/paste what I wrote in a recent thread about similar issues...

>It might help to read some books that model appropriate ways to handle anger. Definitely check out Anh's Anger and its sequel, Steps and Stones. Sometimes I'm Bombaloo is a good one too and very relatable for a 3yo, though less focused on specific solutions. When I Feel Angry is more of a "what to do" book than a story; Cool Down and Work Through Anger is similar but aimed at slightly older kids. Little Monkey Calms Down is a very simple little book with some great ideas too. For hitting specifically, you might check out Hands Are Not For Hitting or Little Dinos Don't Hit. And lastly, Moody Cow Meditates is a great story which also features the "calming jar", a fun tool you can try with him - this site has instructions for making one and lots of variations on that theme. The idea is you shake up the jar to get all your anger out and visualize all those swirling feelings, and then you sit quietly and watch until all the glitter settles and you feel calmer again.

>Read through some books and talk about these things at times when he's calm, so then when he says I'm so frustrated!!! you can say, Okay, what are some things we can do when we're frustrated? Do you want to go for a walk like Anh? Do you want to shake your calm-down jar like Moody Cow? etc. Help him fill his "toolbox" of appropriate ways to handle anger, and keep reminding him of those tools when things are starting to escalate. Model them yourself as well - "I'm starting to get frustrated that we're stuck in so much traffic, so I'm going to take some deep breaths like Little Monkey to help me feel calmer. Do you want to breathe with me?"

>Emphasize that all feelings are okay, what matters is how we act on them; if he chooses an inappropriate way to express his anger (hitting, yelling, etc) just remind him, hurting other people/yelling at other people is not an okay way to deal with our frustration; and help him make a better choice (even if that means a time-out). Over time he'll become more able to exercise some control over his behavior and start using his "tools" more often.