Page 26 - G-Fault Finder

PARENT NOTES The Fault Finder
TOPIC: It’s not my fault is a familiar refrain to all parents and teachers. In an effort to avoid embarrassment or punishment we humans typically try to avoid responsibility for much of our behavior. This is typical in children. In some cases they are successful
in avoiding responsibility and this becomes their preferred coping style. By not taking responsibility, blaming others and finding fault in everyone but himself or herself, they continue down a road of dysfunctional behavior.
This story attempts to help children become aware of this ineffective coping style and how it can ul mately have very undesirable consequences.
In this story, Cosmos is observing a pack of wolves. In the rst part of the story, the wolves are having a songfest. During their performance, one of the younger wolves is told that he is not doing something correctly. This young wolf immediately responds that he was doing it correctly and someone else must be o key. When his nding fault in the singing of others is not accepted, he decides, I’ll show them, I just won’t sing any more.
Rather than accept that he might have been wrong, this young wolf blames others and nds fault in the evalua on of others. In a very real sense, this type of thinking and the coping style it will cause is
very limi ng.
Someone who is unwilling to accept guidance is less likely to be successful at almost any task. This lack of success will lead to frustra on and as in this case, to stopping any quest for success. This can happen in a school se ng, work environment and personal relationships.
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