Think it or say it?
You sit next to a girl on the bus. Her hair doesn’t look brushed. You say, “Wow, did you just roll out of bed?”
Think it. It's rude and could hurt her feelings. It is unnecessary to say anything.
It’s snowing out. Your dad asks you to go shovel your elderly neighbors sidewalk. You say, “You can, you’re already going outside to go to work.”
Think it. Our dad asked us to do something kind for a neighbor.
Saturday is your birthday. Your parents are decorating the house with balloons and streamers. You say, “ Oh, this looks like a party for a baby.”
Think it. They will feel bad as they worked hard on it for you.
Double Jeopardy: What could you say instead that would be honest but not hurt their feelings?
In math class the teacher wrote the equation on the board. You study the equation and realize she did it wrong. You say, “Hey, aren’t you supposed to be the math teacher?’
Think it. Everybody makes mistakes! How could you say this in a more kind way?
What did I learn today?
When you get home from school, your mom tells you to do your homework. You’re tired and don’t want to. You say, “Okay, but I need a little break, I’m so tired. I’ll get to them right after.”
Say it! It is always okay to use polite words when you need space or a break.
Yesterday was a sunny day and you wanted to go outside to play for recess. Your teacher said the principal said no extra recess today, but your teacher didn't know why. You said, “Well that's too bad, but okay.”
This is okay to say and is a GREAT way to show flexible thinking.
Your teacher this year keeps the class very busy. Some classmates are complaining about writing so much. You say, “I think it is a lot of work, too..”
It is okay to say this. You can be honest and you are being respectful when saying it like this, with a nice tone of voice.
Your classroom is a mess and you can't find your yellow folder. You say, “I can’t find my stuff. Can someone help me clean this up?”
Say this!
What are some things that are okay to say out loud?
Okay to advocate for self, or be honest when it's respectful and necessary
You came down for breakfast and your brother ate all the cereal. You say, “Wow, I wish you would have saved me some cereal.”
Say it! This is okay to say if it's done in a nice tone of voice
You see your Principal for the first time since last school year. He smiles and says hello to you and you say, “You look even older than the last time I saw you!”
Think it. Adults don't typically like comments about looking older, even though to kids it can be a compliment.
Every day when you enter school, the secretary says hello and calls you the wrong name. You have corrected her before but she forgot again. You say, “If you can’t remember my name, don’t say hello to me.”
Think it. She has a lot of names to remember and isn't trying to make you mad. You could politely correct her again.
You called a friend to talk and they said they can’t talk because they are hanging out with someone else. You say, “Oh, okay. Maybe we can hangout soon too. “
Say this!
What are some things that are best to keep in my head?
Things that can be considered rude or can hurt someone's feelings
Your big sister came home from college for the weekend. She brought you a t-shirt from her college. You say, “Why would I wear that? I don’t go there.”
Think it. You will likely hurt her feelings because she is proud to go to college there.
Your friend’s mom repainted their living room bright yellow. You don’t like the color yellow. You say, “Wow, you must have worked hard on this.”
You can say this! Nice job keeping unkind and unnecessary thoughts inside your head!
Your teacher hands out smarties when you do something good. You've already gotten two, and the next time you get one, you say "Really? More smarties? Can't you get anything better???"
Think it! Your teacher is being nice enough to spend her own money to reward you.
Double Jeopardy: What should you say instead?
Your parents give you a list of chores to do every weekend. You don’t like this. You say, “I know it is good to help out around here but can I just do these chores tomorrow?”
Say it! It is a polite way to ask your parents if they're able to be flexible about your chores.
How can I remind myself not to say these thoughts out loud?
I can stop and think. I can ask myself if it meets the criteria to THINK.I can bite down on my teeth or lips to keep the words from coming out.
Your teacher has something stuck in their teeth. You can't stop staring at it while she is talking and say out loud, "You're so gross! You have something in your teeth!"
Think it! You might want to say something out of kindness to your teacher.
Double Jeopardy: How could you say it instead? Do we say it to her privately or in front of the whole class?
Your friend keeps screaming and talking over the teacher. You are starting to get frustrated and ask them, "Why can't you just shut up?"
Think it. While it may be too loud or annoying for you, you can use kind words to ask to sit away from the student, take a break, or ask them to be quiet.
You notice a friend crying on the playground. You go up to them and ask, "Are you okay?"
Say it! This is a great way to be a kind friend!
You walk in behind some kids in your class from recess and notice a really bad smell. You loudly ask, "Ew, is that you that smells TERRIBLE?"
Think it. While it may not smell good, you likely won't smell it for too much longer. You will hurt someone's feelings and embarrass them.
When was a time I said something out loud that should have been kept in my head?
How did it make the other person feel?
Thanks for sharing :)