Definition:

Patience means having self-control, waiting and enduring when one would rather not.

In short:

Stay calm while you wait.

Summary:
When Josh mistakenly accuses his sister of stealing his toy, his dad gives him some good advice about self-control. He asks Josh to reflect on how shouting at his sister felt - did it make him feel better or worse? Josh realizes that he needs to think about his choices when he starts to get angry. He has a few opportunities to practice pausing before acting on angry impulses, and when he’s able to redirect his thoughts, it feels good. He’s learned that not acting on angry impulses is always the best choice! 

Lesson Objectives: 

1. Students demonstrate more ability to not act on angry impulses as they practice strategies like pausing and counting to 10 before doing or saying anything. 
2. Teachers can guide students to act out different scenarios that show the different choices that can be made when a problem arises. They can introduce new strategies to use when anger arises. 

Guiding Questions: 

1. Why did Josh get upset when he got home from school?
2. Did Emily steal Josh’s toy? 
3. Josh’s dad asked him, “did shouting make you feel better or worse?” Did this question help Josh decide to try to practice self-control? 
4. What did Josh decide to do the next time he has a choice about his behavior? 
5. Why did Josh decide not to eat his sister’s birthday cake, even though he wanted to? 
6. Why did Josh get mad at his friends and what did he do to pause and not react? 
7. Why did Josh feel proud of himself when he was able to stop himself from reacting when his mom said he couldn’t have candy? 
8. What kinds of things make you angry?
9. What do you usually do when you get angry - do you fight back using angry words and/or your body (punching, kicking)? 
10. Is there something you do to help you stop and think before acting and speaking when you get angry? Ask someone you trust for suggestions.