I am Lovable & Capable, Older; Bully 1b

I am Lovable and Capable, adapted from Sid Simon; For Older Children

(make a paper cutout of a boy or girl figure, 6 to 8 inches or so tall; during story, fold in 4 sections when prompted; scroll down for outline)

I am going to tell you a story about a person.  (SHOW the FIGURE).  This cutout represents the inside feelings of a boy, or girl.  For this story I will call the figure HE.  This boy woke up feeling good, got dressed for school and walked into the kitchen to have breakfast.  "Ha, ha, ha, ha, you look stupid!!!  "Look, you have your shirt on inside out!" his sister said.  The boy looked down, and indeed he did have his shirt inside out.  He tried not to let it bother him, but could feel part of his inside self slip away.  He felt  not nearly as loveable and capable.  (1. FOLD BACK A PART OF THE FIGURE).  So, he went into his bedroom and put his shirt on the right way.  As much as this boy tried not to let his sister's teasing get to him, he felt hurt and embarrassed when she laughed at him, and completely uncomfortable inside of himself.

He returned to the kitchen and sat down at the table to pour himself a glass of milk.   He reached for the milk a little too fast; his hand hit the milk container and it tipped over.  The milk spilled all over the table and the floor.  His mom says, "Why do you do everything so fast?  I've never seen anyone more clumsy!  Stop and think about what you're doing!"  (2. FOLD BACK ANOTHER PIECE OF THE FIGURE).  Poor guy, he felt himself getting smaller and smaller inside, he felt less capable and lovable.

By this time it was getting late and he had no time to eat breakfast.  So, the boy ran out the door and all the way to school, but he was late anyway.  As he hurried into his classroom the teacher sarcastically said, "Well, thank you for deciding to join us today.  Get up earlier and get here on time, you have disrupted my class.  Take out your math book.  Math book?  He had totally forgot to bring his math book.   (3. FOLD BACK ANOTHER PIECE OF THE FIGURE).  This boy is supposed to start learning right now, but his inside self feels torn up and he is having difficulty trying to concentrate on schoolwork.  He looks whole on the outside, but he's not on the inside.  The boy walked to his seat, and as he was sitting down he could hear the boy next to him snicker and call him a loser.  (4. FOLD BACK ANOTHER PIECE OF THE FIGURE).  This boy was having a rough day, and being called a loser made him feel a little more tore up inside, his feelings were hurt, and he feels worried about his inside self. 

A girl sitting on the other side of him said, "Would you like to share my math book?  I've left my math book at home before and know how it feels."  The boy felt relieved and thought," wow, someone does care."  (1a. UNFOLD A PIECE OF THE FIGURE).  Even though he felt much better, the boy spent his math time looking whole on the outside but not feeling whole on the inside.  When it was time for recess, one of the boys called out, "Be on our team!"  He was great at sports and knew he would play the game well.  He felt his inside self grow stronger and feel capable. (2a. UNFOLD A PIECE OF THE FIGURE).

The boy spent the day in school whole on the outside and a bit torn up on the inside.  When it was time to go home his teacher said, "I'm sorry I was sarcastic with you this morning.  I guess I'm having a rough day and took it out on you."  That meant a lot to the boy, he felt pretty good, and a lot more loveable and capable.   (3a. UNFOLD A PIECE OF THE FIGURE).  When the boy walked in the front door at home his mom said, "Ive been thinking about you all day.  I know you didn't spill the milk on purpose and  I'm sorry I was so angry."  (4a. UNFOLD THE LAST PIECE OF THE FIGURE).  When this boy went to bed that night he was whole on the inside and whole on the outside.   In the morning if things did not go his way and again begin to chip away at his inside self, like they do all of us, at least he was starting out fresh.

But, most kids might not be lucky enough to sit by a girl who would share her math book, (1b. FOLD A PIECE BACK AGAIN).  Whose teacher would not apologize for being sarcastic, (2B. FOLD ANOTHER PIECE).  Who were not good in games at recess and was not asked to join in, (3b. FOLD ANOTHER PIECE BACK).  And, whose mom would not apologize for being frustrated that morning.  (4b. FOLD THE LAST PIECE).  If that was true of this boy, when he went to bed that night, he'd go to bed whole on the outside but torn up on the inside.

And, when he got up in the morning and things began to chip away at hiim like they do to all of us, he wouldn't have much of the inside self left.   (5b. FOLD SEVERAL TIMES MORE UNTIL A SMALL PIECE OF PAPER IS LEFT).  The boy would say to the world, "Leve me alone, leave me alone!!!!"  (UNFOLD THE PAPER AND SHOW HOW WRINKLED THE BOY IS ON THE INSIDE).  We are lucky that our boy was whole on the outside and whole on the inside.