tattle tongue
Today we read the book Tattle Tongue by Julia Cook. It presents the "Tattle Rules" that students should follow when deciding whether or not to tell an adult when someone is doing something wrong. We also practiced actions to help us remember them! Check out the handout below for a prettier version of the rules (if you want to print them out to use at home!)
The four main ideas are:
1. Be a danger ranger: Report immediately if a person or an animal is in danger
2. Be a problem solver: If the problem involves you and no one is in danger, try to solve it yourself!
3. Now or later: Some things need to be shared with a teacher, but are not an emergency. Sometimes we don't need to interrupt an adult to tell them right away.
4. Mind your own beeswax: If no one is in danger and it doesn't involve you, you should focus on doing what you are supposed to be doing.
You can follow up at home by giving your child feedback when they tell you about something someone else is doing wrong. Let them know if they did the right thing because it was a dangerous or "now" problem (or that they CAN wait a few seconds for many problems when you are on the phone), remind them to try to solve problems themselves when there is no risk to anyone, and tell them that sometimes we just have to mind our own "beeswax." Especially if they have siblings, knowing the difference between when to tell, solve, or focus on themselves is vital to parent sanity!
Finally, remind your child that when a situation must be reported, it is their job to tell the closest safe adult. At school this might be a teacher, supervisor, or other school staff. At home and in the community, the closest safe adult may be a parent, coach, or neighbor. Discuss with your child who some safe adults are in each of the settings they spend significant time in.
Tell them that if they report something and it doesn't stop, they need to keep reporting until
someone listens and helps stop the behavior!
The four main ideas are:
1. Be a danger ranger: Report immediately if a person or an animal is in danger
2. Be a problem solver: If the problem involves you and no one is in danger, try to solve it yourself!
3. Now or later: Some things need to be shared with a teacher, but are not an emergency. Sometimes we don't need to interrupt an adult to tell them right away.
4. Mind your own beeswax: If no one is in danger and it doesn't involve you, you should focus on doing what you are supposed to be doing.
You can follow up at home by giving your child feedback when they tell you about something someone else is doing wrong. Let them know if they did the right thing because it was a dangerous or "now" problem (or that they CAN wait a few seconds for many problems when you are on the phone), remind them to try to solve problems themselves when there is no risk to anyone, and tell them that sometimes we just have to mind our own "beeswax." Especially if they have siblings, knowing the difference between when to tell, solve, or focus on themselves is vital to parent sanity!
Finally, remind your child that when a situation must be reported, it is their job to tell the closest safe adult. At school this might be a teacher, supervisor, or other school staff. At home and in the community, the closest safe adult may be a parent, coach, or neighbor. Discuss with your child who some safe adults are in each of the settings they spend significant time in.
Tell them that if they report something and it doesn't stop, they need to keep reporting until
someone listens and helps stop the behavior!