‘Mad Isn’t Bad’ has lessons for all

You want to explode. Your face feels hot.  You breathe faster.  Your heart beats faster.  Your hands want to grab, hit or throw something.  Your feet want to kick or run.  Your voice wants to yell or cry. 

This is how you explain what “mad” feels like to a child, according to Michaelene Mundy, author of Mad isn’t Bad.  Mundy is an educator, who has taught third and fourth graders, worked with learning-disabled children, has served as a counselor on the college level and is the mother of three.

I like this book, written for children, because it is important for kids to learn how to recognize the ‘mad’ feeling so they can take responsibility for it and have ways of expressing it without hurting themselves, another person or destroying property. 

There are choices.   Throwing a fit or staying calm. Taking immediate action or counting to 10 (or 100) and thinking about what is the best thing to do or say. Blaming someone else for making you angry or being aware you are the one who’s angry and you are the only one who can do something about it.

Not only does the author think “mad’ isn’t bad, she says it can even be good.  It can be good when it makes you want to do something about a bad situation, or gives you energy to work harder to solve a problem or helps you tell someone what’s bothering you, so that you can work together to make it better.

Her book gives suggestions on healthy ways to handle anger, where to go for help and even talks about being mad at God.  It also tells you what to do when someone is angry at you, as well as some wise words about forgiveness.

This is a book for every parent, grandparent, teacher and caring adult to read and discuss with the children they live with or encounter.  In fact, like many children’s books, it is useful for any one of any age.