Page 26 - SB-The Angry Hornet

This is not to say that those two reactions are not occasionally appropriate but the ability to hold our emotions and behaviors at bay until we can rationally assess the situation is a learned skill.
In our story, three boys are walking in the woods when an angry hornet confronts each of them. The first boy’s automatic thoughts lead him to fight with disastrous results. The second boy’s automatic thoughts lead him to flight with the same results.
The third boy experiences the same thoughts and emotions but holds them in check. This allows him to assess the situation (it is very bad) evaluate alternatives (fight or run or walk away slowly). He chooses what he considers to be his best option, stiffens his resolve and follows through with his decision.
These are the skills that will allow you to not over or under react to a situation and to stay with your decision regardless of the pressures applied to get you to change. This is a lesson for the child who fights at the least provocation as well as the child who runs to the teacher or parent to solve their every problem.
They are engaging in these behaviors because of their inability to utilize any other coping skills and the reinforcement they receive when engaging in these primitive methods of coping, causing them to continue in this fight or flight coping style.
Young children should be able to relate to these characters since they typically have had little opportunity to learn other ways of coping with Angry Hornet situations.
23