Help Me Be Good Book Series

I've begun reading this series to the children at Ka Hana Pono and they really absorb this information, listen intently, and share examples freely.  I can still remember the day our "Help Me Be Good" book series arrived in the mail and how excited we were.  And I can remember just as clearly my great-grandma, tutu, reading each book over and over and over to her twelve-ish grandchildren circled around her.

The purpose of this book series according to the author Joy Berry, is to help children become aware of and break the cycle of negative action and reaction.  Your child will learn how to recognize and replace negative with positive behavior.

Last week we read "A Help Me Be Good Book About Lying" by Joy Berry.  Each book is designed to do the following in an enjoyable way:

1. Define a negative behavior
2. Explain the cause of negative behavior
3. Discuss the effects of the negative behavior
4. Offer suggestions for replacing the negative behavior with positive behavior

There were three examples of lying that were discussed:

1) "Sometimes you might say something you think is true.  Then later you might discover that what you said is not true.  When you do not knw that what you are saying is untrue, you are making a mistake.  It is OK to make mistakes because no one is perfect.  Everyone makes mistakes."

2) "Sometimes you might make up a story and tell it to other people for fun.  An untrue story that is told for fun is called a fantasy or a joke.  It is ok to tell a fantasy or a joke.  But it is important to remember that the fantasy/joke is not true.  It is also important to make sure that others know it is not true."

3) "Sometimes you might purposely tell someone something that is not true.  When you do this you are not telling a fantasy/joke.  You are not making a mistake. You are lying.  Lying is trying to make someone believe something that is not true.  It is fooling / tricking someone on purpose and not letting them know that it is not true."

Lying is not a good thing to do.  When you lie:
- You disappoint other people
- You cause people to wonder if you ever tell the truth
- You cause people to stop trusting you

Do not try to hide a lie by telling more lies.  Tell the truth if you have lied. Say "I lied" and this will begin to make things better.  Say that you are sorry if you have lied.  Then do not tell any more lies.  If you want people to believe and trust you, you must not lie to them.

This week we'll be reading about "Being Bossy"


xoxoxoxoxo