Have you ever witnessed someone get really upset and lash out about something only to later determine that the anger and frustration wasn't really about the thing in the first place? Often the original complaint is valid, but the reaction to it is out of proportion. This phenomenon takes place in all ages and highlights something really important we need to understand and be teaching our children.

Emotional responses to life cannot simply be stuffed or stamped out with no later repercussions.  From minor disappointments to major traumas, our emotions are tools to help understand what's happening in us.  When we ignore them and resist any attempt to express them in a healthy way, they will creep out in any, albeit weird, place it can.

A simple example is a 5 year old child who doesn't get his usual amount of sleep, claims he's not tired but then has fits of rage or meltdown because his banana got ketchup on it.  Any of us would be frustrated that we got ketchup on our banana, but  throwing a fit is out of proportion.  The truth is the child is very tired and emotionally working overtime to keep going.  Adults are no different, but sometimes we can hide the truth a lot better - even from ourselves! Insecurity, feelings of abandonment, abuse, any manner of trauma that isn't understood and properly dealt with emotionally can and will make it's way into your life in a destructive, misplaced way.