By Vicki Fong-Penn State, Futurity.org – December 20, 2012 at 12:24PM
PENN STATE (US) — Toddlers with more developed language ability can manage their frustration better and are less likely to express anger by the time they’re in preschool, say researchers.
“This is the first longitudinal evidence of early language abilities predicting later aspects of anger regulation,” says Pamela M. Cole, research professor of psychology and human development and family studies at Penn State. She was the principal investigator of the study, which appears in Child Development.
Angry outbursts like temper tantrums are common among toddlers, but by the time children enter school, they’re expected to have more self-control. To help them acquire this skill, they’re taught to use language skills like “using your words.”