Is Ann Landers right in the advice she gave to the parents of the little boy who was having temper tantrums?

Answer 1

Well, this question is a matter of opinion. You are going to have to research a bit.

However, here is a look at a back and fourth between Ann and a reader about the advance she gave the parents of the little boy

"Ann Landers, the noted advice columnist, also argues that youngsters ought to be taught to vent their anger in controlled ways. Not all her readers agree, as is evident from this letter:

Dear Ann: I was shocked at your advice to the mother whose 3-year-old had temper tantrums. You suggested that the child be taught to kick the furniture and "get the anger out of his system." I always thought you were a little cuckoo. Now I'm sure.

My younger brother used to kick the furniture when he got mad. Mother called it "letting off steam." Well, he's 32 years old now, and still kicking the furniture - what's left of it, that is. He is also kicking his wife, the cat, the kids, and anything else that gets in his way. Last October, he threw the TV set out the window when his favorite team failed to score and lost the game. (The window was closed at the time.)

Why don't you tell mothers that children must be taught to control their anger? This is what separates civilized human beings from savages, Dummy. - Star Witness

Dear Star: You, like some others who wrote to criticize, ignored the most important part of my answer. I did not condone destroying furniture. I suggested that a punching bag or an old chair, specifically set aside for the purpose, be the object of the child's hostility. And P.S. - the most important part of my answer went like this: "Youngsters should be taught to vent their anger against things - not people."