I Can Be Happy When I Help

 Purpose: To help children realize that our attitude about helping our family and neighbors is often determined by our words and tone of voice.

Technique: Role play

Materials Needed:

• Laundry basket full of towels
• Rake, lawnmower, or outdoor broom
• Trash can
• Small table with placement, napkin, silverware, glass
• Word strips (tape underneath children’s chairs with the label #1, #2, etc. visible)
• Black poster board representing negative attitude; yellow poster board representing positive attitude

1. Can’t it wait until after this TV show?
2. Why do I always have to do it?
3. It seems like I just did that yesterday.
4. I’m too tired.
5. It looks like the trash is piling up. Can I take it out for you?
6. Can I help with dinner?
7. Is there anything I can do to make your day any easier?
8. It looks like the yard/patio needs to be moved/swept. Can I help out?

The four “chores” should be arranged in four different areas. A member of the primary board will role play the mother and walk into primary looking overwhelmed, hurried, tired, . . . Or any other emotion that might be appropriate. She could be talking to herself and going over her checklist of things to get done for the day. Then she stops and looks at the kids and says, “you know, I could share use some help around here today.” She looks at the trash can heaped with trash. “Let’s see . . . Who is helper #1?” (Helper raises hand.) “______, would you mind emptying the trash. The trash man should be here any minute.” (Helper #1 whines as he/she reads response.) Mother looks discouraged. A second primary board member asks children if this child is happily helping. If not, the word strip is placed on the black poster board. Role Play continues and repeats as outlined:

Chore/Response:

Setting the Table/#2

Folding Clothes/#3

Cleaning Yard/#4

By this time, mother is completely discouraged. Second primary worker asks Helper #5 if he/she could please say something that would make mother feel better. Helper #5 reads response and takes trash out into hall. Mother has a smile creep over her. Second primary worker continues asking Helper #6–he goes over and sets table. Helper #7 folds towels, and Helper #8 pretends to rake leaves. By this time, Mother is genuinely happy and comments on how much happier home is when children have a positive attitude about helping.

Children are given the following calendar and are asked to draw/color a picture of them helping someone in their family or neighborhood. Be sure that their picture shows them smiling! They can take chart home and have either parent or themselves fill in the chart daily.