Page 47 - G-Collard Green Garden

Worksheet
This is where you can teach your child the classic coping self-message, “What is the worse that could happen.” By using this ques on whenever we are fearful, we will learn that the real (ra onal) worst consequence in most situa ons is something we can handle. It is the unreal (irra onal) consequences that cause us to “freeze up” and make bad decisions. Coach them to think like the Crow, if the bull came a er you, “you could hide in the house un l the farmer got him and built an even stronger fence.”
If the Young Girl had used the coping messages your child verbalize, the Young Girl could s ll be fearful but not terri ed. A ra onal, not foolhardy evalua on is what you want them to start learning when confronted with something fearful or in mida ng.
This allows the Young Girl (and your children) to think of alterna ve ways to handle the “Bull Situa on.” An easy compromise to this situa on is to leave collards along the fence and change the rest of the garden. Help them come up with examples of behaviors then discuss the op ons and choose a ra onal one.
You are not encouraging them to be mean or spiteful or even to overwhelm the “opponent.” Instead, in these examples, you want them to see that by doing what is best for them, in spite of some nega ve consequences to others, they are being ra onal and their behavior is the acceptable.
A nal ques on in this process can be; “What will we nd in her garden next year?” Let them give you an explana on of why they think... “just collards” or ”lots of vegetables.”
1. What more realis c thing could the Young Girl have told herself about the Bull’s threat?
(Help them come up with ra onal (Good Thinking) alterna ves...like Cosmos’)
2. With this Good Thinking, what emo ons would she have then felt a er the Bull’s threat?
(They may say a li le scared (which is realis c) or brave...but you want them to be “in control”)
3. What then would have been her behavior toward changing the garden?
(She could compromise...leave some for the bull by the fence...but she would change the garden)
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