Page 24 - Take Me Out To The Ball Game

Parent Notes
Take me out to the Ballgame
The concepts used in this fable are frequently referred to as the ABC theory.
“A” An ac va ng event or experience
“B” Your belief system about “A”
“C” The emo onal and behavioral consequences
Most children and many adults think that “A” leads directly to “C”. For example, He stepped on my foot and that made me mad so I hit him. The problem for this child is that stepping on the foot and the instantaneous emo on of anger leads to the behavior of gh ng.
What is missed by the child in this situa on is that there was a cogni ve or belief component “B” which can either mollify or exacerbate the emo onal and behavioral reac on. A child who thinks of others nega vely, The punk be er not touch me or
is overly concerned about what others might think, If anyone touches me the others will think I am weak, will generate a more intense emo onal reac on and consequently more inappropriate behavioral reac on to someone bumping them or stepping on their foot.
A child with a more rational thinking, It is no big deal, or Don’t get angry or you will get in trouble, will be better able to control their emotional and behavioral reaction in this situation.
What we hope to accomplish in this story is to help your child begin to realize that what they are thinking, either ra onal or irra onal, is what is causing their emo ons both good and bad and that this in turn is causing their behavior either appropriate
or inappropriate.
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