Page 40 - Mousy Mouse Has a Bad Day

Worksheet
Because we are social animals, we need to consider the social situation of the “Cheese Game.” “Mousy figured out the best way to win the Cheese Game. But then she was accused of cheating. What emotions was she feeling?” We can identify that Mousy was feeling angry and embarrassed. We have all been in similar situations
and just like Mousy, we frequently do something stupid. The emotional overload that often accompanies rejection or ridicule by our peers can be overwhelming and lead to behaviors we later regret. There is little in our society that teaches us how to handle situations like the conclusion of the Cheese Game.
It is easy to predict that Mousy, who we know fairly well by this point of the story, is going to return to the farmhouse and “be brave.” Many cultures romanticize this very type of behavior (“Charge of the Light Brigade” and every action adventure movie you will ever see). But this is frequently not in our “best self-interest.” You want the children to recognize the thoughts that Mousy had when she was accused of not winning because she was “not brave”... “I have to prove I did not cheat and am the best”... “I can’t stand it that the others don’t recognize that I won the game.” These should seem typical to most children, many of whom think just like Mousy.
Next you want them to suggest what Mousy could tell herself about the Cheese Game so that she would have more reasonable emotions and better behavior. “It is only a game and I don’t have to risk my neck for anyone’s approval.” “I did my best and if they want to say I did not win, then that is their choice.” “I am not going to let them upset me into doing something stupid.”
Incorporating these types of beliefs will go a long way to mitigating the impact of such things as “peer pressure” (stinky thinking of others) and the “personal pressure” (our own stinky thinking) that will result in problem behavior of “Comparison Shopping.”
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