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 or say it?
And why?
Think it. It's rude and could hurt her feelings. And it's just 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 or say it?
And why?
Think it. Probably viewed by your dad as being disrespectful.
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 or say it?
And why?
Think it. They will feel bad, they worked hard on it for you. 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 or say it?
And why?
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.”
Think it or say it?
And why?
This is okay to say to most parents
Yesterday was a sunny day and you wanted to go outside to play for recess. Your teacher said the class couldn't according to the principal, but they didn't know why. You said, “Well that's too bad, but okay.”
Think it or say it?
And why?
This is okay to say and is a good 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..”
Think it or say it?
And why?
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.
The coat closet in your classroom is a mess. You can’t even find your backpack. You say, “I can’t find my stuff. Can someone help me clean this up?”
Think it or say it?
And why?
You can 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.”
Think it or say it?
And why?
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. She smiles and says hello to you and you say, “You look even older than the last time I saw you! ”
Think it or say it?
And why?
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 security guard says hello and calls you the wrong name. You have corrected him before but he forgot again. You say, “If you can’t remember my name, don’t say hello to me.”
Think it. He has hundreds of names to remember. What could you say to him though?
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. “
Think it or say it?
And why?
Yes, you can 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 or say it?
And why?
Think it. You will likely hurt her feelings.
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.”
Think it or say it?
And why?
You can say this! Nice job keeping your unnecessary thoughts inside your head
Your teacher hands out Dum Dum lollipops when you do something good. You've already gotten two, and the next time you get one, you say "Really? Another Dum Dum? Can't you get anything better???"
Think it or say it?
And why?
Think it! Your teacher is being nice enough to spend her own money to reward you.
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?”
Think it or say it?
And why?
Yes this is okay to say to most parents
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.
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 :)