Page 29 - Wanda Weasel

PARENT NOTES
WANDA “WANT IT NOW” WEASEL
TOPIC: Most of us would like to have what we want, when we want it. We may have learned soothing self-messages, which allow us to not get overly upset when that does not happen. Unfortunately, those of us who “want it now” are easily frustrated and give up quickly. It is important to recognize the consequences to this S nky Thinking and to change it.
It is typical for children to have low frustra on tolerance. They don’t see themselves as being unreasonable; they see everyone else as frustra ng their a empts to be happy. Learning that “pa ence and persistence are posi ves” is the hallmark of maturity.
But it is not a func on of just age. Many adults fall vic m to the same S nky Thinking as the character in the story. This demand that things should go a certain way and that others must treat me in a certain way, leads to many interpersonal problems.
This style of thinking is also a major contributor to school failure and school drop out. For someone who has the type to thinking seen in this fable, all the things in life which take me and e ort from educa on to work to rela onships will be seen as too hard and will not be pursued adequately. It is not di cult for a child to jus fy their irra onal thinking in this regard. It is also not di cult for them to nd peers who have the same set of irra onal beliefs.
One of the primary values of this story is to negate the belief, “If others think the same as I think then it must be true.” A signi cant problem for many children is that they associate with others who have the same type of Stinky Thinking that they possess. This is a comfortable arrangement for them but it fails to provide them with effective role models or opportunities for constructive guidance.
Much of the emphasis in the Coping Skills program is to have the children look at their belief system and objec vely evaluate it. In those areas where their thinking is “Good,” they should maintain those beliefs. In those areas where their thinking is “S nky,” they should challenge and change it.
You want to use this story to help the child understand that learning to be pa ent and persistent are necessary to succeed in much of life. These are not quali es that many of us are predisposed toward. In fact, children are naturally predisposed to the an thesis of these quali es and if they don’t change their thinking, they can be labeled as “immature” at best or given some psychiatric diagnosis at worst.
Wanda should be a character that many children will recognize, either in themselves or others. They will recognize how Wanda’s lack of pa ence
and persistence cause her problems. Hopefully, they will have the insight to understand that we some mes choose to associate with others only because they have the same type of Stinky Thinking and what trouble that can cause.
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