Page 40 - SB-Collard Green Garden

The main issue in negative “peer pressure” is that others manipulate you to do something that is not in your best self-interest. We can be influenced to do things that we may not want to do (study for a test) or that we are afraid to do (try out for a play) but this does not fit our definition of Peer Pressure as illustrated in the story.
If we are doing something or not doing something because of negative emotions such as anger or fear and someone else tries to influence us to change, this can be defined as positive peer pressure and is not the same as what was illustrated in the story.
It is important to make the distinction between doing what you think is right or correct without allowing others to unduly influence you as opposed to just doing what you want to do regardless of the “rightness” of that behavior.
A point to make at this time is that the manipulation by the characters in this story is occurring from the “outside .” That is, someone else is trying to get the Young Girl to do something against her better judgment. These same irrational influences (beliefs) can also be internalized. We can tell ourselves the messages of the Rabbit, the Owl or the Bull.
We can manipulate ourselves in a negative manner by repeating messages from the past and let historic irrationalities control our lives. Every time we keep from doing something we want or should do because of some irrational self-messages (I’m too old, not smart enough, don’t have the time) we are allowing our own “Collard Green” beliefs control us.
It is easy to illustrate this type of thinking with characters outside of ourselves but use every opportunity to help the children realize that they can negatively manipulate themselves by telling themselves these same “Collard Green” messages.
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