January 2023: Handling Teases and Put-Downs
January 2023: Handling Teases and Put-Downs
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3rd grade students are exploring strategies to protect their hearts from the occasional tease or name-calling. Learning these strategies is one way to empower students to stand up for themselves and others with confidence. It does NOT condone teasing EVER.
Mean words and name calling, teasing, and sarcasm all hurt our hearts especially when we hear them from friends or family. Most of the time, the person is trying to be funny or connect. Other times, they are out to make you feel bad and we DON’T want to give them that power.
Learning to bounce back from insults is an important resiliency skill. We ask ourselves, how long do I want to stay sad, angry, frustrated, worried. When we can use strategies to pull ourselves out of those uncomfortable feelings, we feel better and take back our power.
In Simon’s Hook, a Story About Teases and Put-Downs, by Karen Gedig Burnett, Simon’s friends tease him about his hair. Simon let’s their words hurt his heart and he runs away instead of having fun at the park like he was hoping. His grandmother teaches him five strategies to for dealing with teases.
Do little or nothing (don’t react)
Pretend to agree with the hook
Distract the fishermen (change the subject)
Laugh or Make a Joke
Stay away from the hooks
I encourage kids to choose one strategy and stick with it with fidelity, while they are practicing. It may not work the first time they try it – keep at it. You will take back your power and stop the teasing.
“Teases are no big deal unless YOU make them a big deal.”
If kids are getting teased all them time and it is making them feel uncomfortable to go to school or to a certain activity. That is a bigger problem. They should seek adult help.
People should THINK before they speak. Ask themselves, “is what I’m about to say True? Helpful? Inspiring? Necessary? Kind?
LEARN TO BE A FREE FISH!
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