Blahday
I've been looking through Beulie's photos and came across this one from one of her first restaurant experiences. She's been to several coffee shops, fast food places and restaurants and will reliably stay under the table and watch or just fall asleep.
I gave the boys at Juvenile Hall a stamping project with a tiny bit of thinking required. I showed them how to make a stamp of a bright idea symbol (light bulb) and asked them to stamp it four times. Next to each stamp they were to write one pro-social thing they could do now or at any time in their lives. Example - I could go to the beach. I could go to school. I could write a letter to my grandmother. I could apologize to my parents. I could get a job. Really, I didn't think I was asking for much but it was pulling teeth for some to come up with just four ideas. In the end they were all successful. I asked them to put their names on the front and all the pages were posted on the wall. That's for the refrigerator door deprived and also an incentive to do one's best.....
I can imagine it would be hard to come up with four pro-social things. Sometimes especially when I'm in a down mood, I'd find it hard. Does chatting in the veggie section of the grocery count? Really though, my grandson who has severe ADHD (like at the bottom of the testing scale for the attention part of it) and went through seven traumatic years of school before they would admit he needs help would have trouble coming up with positives. Two years ago at age 11 he had a nervous breakdown from the bad school atmosphere and ended up with therapy. He couldn't have come up with a positive WORD then. I would think boys in juvy have some bad stuff in their background so it's really good you are pulling out the positive. Please keep pulling teeth!!
ReplyDeleteAs a society, I think we've become so controlling of our young people that they really don't know how (or are afraid) to think for themselves, especially if it is the least big creative. What a useful (and I hope fun) exercise you gave those guys. (My favorite (though I only did it one on one) was to ask kids to draw a picture of themselves either with the superhero they wanted on their "side," or with the magic powers they most wanted to have.)
ReplyDeleteHave a good rest of the weekend.
And I'll see what new grids I come up with!