Making and using a Grump Meter is fun and easy!

Grump Meter Basics

The Grump Meter can be used in homes, classrooms, and other group settings. It helps you monitor your levels of grumpiness or anger. The goal? Stay on blue, and prevent the climb to red.
  • Blue is calm, cool, and collected. Your goal is to remain on blue.
  • Green is grumpy. You're in control of yourself, but feeling a bit out of sorts.
  • Yellow is grumpier. It's your "Caution" light. On yellow, you still have control. So, take a thinking-time out. Find a way to back up, and come back down the Grump Meter. 
  • Orange is mad. On orange, you're angry and you risk losing control. Stop now!
  • Red is explosive anger. On red, you've lost control. You risk hurting yourself or someone else. Stay away from red.

Make Your Grump Meter

  1. Use a piece of rectangular white cardboard, as small or big as you'd like. Then, using a black marker or crayon, draw a stack of 5 boxes as shown at left.
  2. Write words or draw pictures to show how you feel on each color. What other words or images might go with each color? Draw them on your Grump Meter.
  3. Color your Grump Meter, following the color pattern you see in the Grump Meters on this site.
  4. Hang your Grump Meter where you can see it and use it.

Using Your Grump Meter

  • Make the Grump Meter part of your daily, family conversation. 
  • Every couple hours, ask what color you're each on. 
  • As you go about daily activities, check in with the Grump Meter and each other. What color are you on during breakfast? After school? During sports practice?
  • If you practice using it, you'll have it in your mind when you need it.
  • In  your family, help each other figure out what helps you each calm down. Make a list of those reminders. 
  • When you start moving up the Grump Meter, use your reminders to calm yourself down and get back to blue. You can do it!


Get the most out of the Grump Meter!

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The Grump Meter book has a fun-to-read section for kids, and an in-depth guide for parents and teachers.
The Workbook has 24 colorful pages full of fun activities to help children understand and learn to manage their emotions.

In our book, The Grump Meter: A Family Tool for Anger Control, and The Grump Meter Workbook, families learn how to:
  • monitor their anger using the unique Grump Meter as a prevention tool. 
  • communicate about anger and other big feelings with a common language.
  • understand internal and external triggers, and their role in anger management.
  • identify techniques and tools to remain calm rather than going up the Grump Meter.
Order your book and workbook today!