Page 26 - Jeff the Monkey

Later in the story, he is unwilling to learn to climb because now the trees have grown too tall. In our real world, the underachiever’s unwillingness to put forth the necessary effort in school is the result of their irrational belief, “It would be just too awful to try and fail so I just won’t try.”
Jeff failed to learn a basic life skill of climbing but more importantly, he failed to learn basic social skills such as cooperation and a willingness to not be overly demanding. He has rationalized that “everything will be all right,” despite the obvious evidence to the contrary... the bananas are gone and the troop is leaving.
The other members of the troop also failed by not providing enough encouragement or consequences to Jeff for his unwillingness to learn this fundamental life skill. They were not assertive in their interactions with their companion (Jeff) and to some degree have a responsibility for his eventual fate.
Many irrational self messages may start in childhood but if maintained into adolescence and adulthood they move on a continuum from; “he is difficult but he will outgrow it” to “he just is not interested in school” to “he just can’t hold a job or maintain a relationship.”
You want to use this story to help your child understand that they must be willing to take on progressively more difficult tasks to succeed in school and life. In addition, the story line addresses the necessity of developing a willingness to accept guidance, not be annoying or threatening to others to get what you want and an acceptance that success comes incrementally.
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