Debby Kempthorne - Educational Psychologist

29/12/2025

29/12/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17e9yo2o2k/

"While anger in girls and women is overwhelmingly portrayed as irrational, it is, in fact, completely rational," observes author Soraya Chemaly. Girls’ anger often grows as they reach their teens, because studies show that girls and women are more likely to feel anger about injustice, powerlessness, and other people’s irresponsibility -– all things they confront head on as they approach adulthood. “They begin to see the effects of gender–based double standards that fly in the face of everything they’ve learned so far about their abilities, equality, and potential,” she reflects.

Rather than fighting her own anger, as Chemaly says she did for many years, she now realizes that "it can be controlled, transformed, used. It can be a tool. Anger can inspire art, and anger fuels activism. What if we knew girls could be angry? What if we showed them how to use it? What if we let them know that they weren’t alone?... In dark times, our inner fire glows brightest."

To read more about why it's important to let girls be angry – and how to teach girls to channel their anger productively at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=23651

Soraya Chemaly is the author of the powerful book for adults "Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women's Anger" at https://www.amightygirl.com/rage-becomes-her

For several excellent books for children and teens on understanding and expressing anger in healthy ways, we recommend "Anger Management Skills Workbook for Kids" for ages 5 to 9 (https://www.amightygirl.com/anger-management-workbook-kids) and "How to Take the GRRR Out of Anger" for ages 8 to 12 (https://www.amightygirl.com/grrr-out-of-anger)

For teens, ages 13 and up, we recommend the guides "The Anger Workbook for Teens" (https://www.amightygirl.com/the-anger-workbook-for-teens) and "When Anxiety Makes You Angry" (https://www.amightygirl.com/anxiety-makes-you-angry)

There's also a fantastic card game on anger management for ages 6 to 12 at https://www.amightygirl.com/mad-dragon

For books for kids of all ages on better understanding and managing emotions of all varieties, visit our blog post, "Understanding The Way I Feel: 50 Mighty Girl Books About Managing Emotions,” at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=11449

11/12/2025

Research shows that parents can make a big difference in their child’s brain development with just a small daily effort. Spending fifteen minutes a day playing actively with children can boost brain growth by up to twenty percent. This simple habit helps strengthen neural connections that are important for learning, memory, and emotional development.

Playing with kids encourages problem-solving, creativity, and communication skills. Activities like building blocks, drawing, or imaginative games stimulate the brain while also building strong bonds between parent and child. These short daily sessions are easy to fit into a busy schedule but have a lasting impact on a child’s development.

The benefits go beyond cognitive growth. When parents engage in play, children feel valued, safe, and supported. This emotional security allows them to explore, take healthy risks, and learn from mistakes, which further supports overall development.

Experts say it is never too late to start. Even small daily efforts create meaningful change. This research shows that investing just a few minutes of focused attention can help children grow smarter, more confident, and emotionally resilient. Everyday play can shape the future of a child’s mind.

11/12/2025