The following script was written for a puppet show which was presented to first graders:

Name-calling: "I Don't Have to Upset Myself!"

Written by Judy S. Freedman, M.S.W., L.C.S.W.

Moderator to audience: Introduction...You will soon meet Natalie Namecaller.  She says mean things to boys and girls.  She teases children and likes to make fun of them.  If Natalie Namecaller called you a name or teased you, how would you feel?  (Interact with children about the feelings they have when someone calls them a name.)  Let's see how Natalie acts toward a classmate whose name is Hurt Holly, and how Polly Problem-Solver helps.

Natalie Namecaller: (yells) Hey Holly, you've got glasses...Four Eyes! You've got four eyes.

Hurt Holly: That hurts my feelings Natalie.

Natalie: So what...you wear glasses, and you have four eyes!

Hurt Holly walks away crying.

Polly enters and approaches Holly.

Polly Problem-Solver: What's the matter, Holly?  Why are you crying?

Holly: Hi Polly Problem- Solver.  Natalie Namecaller called me four eyes.  She hurt my feelings.  I am so sad.  Natalie must not like me.

Polly: I see that you are very upset about this.  Holly, is it true that you have four eyes?  I see only two eyes and your cool glasses!

Holly: Well, no...of course I don't have four eyes.

Polly: If it is not true, why are you upset?  Let's think about it.  Why are you upsetting yourself over this?

Holly: What do you mean?

Polly: Natalie Namecaller called you four eyes because she probably wants to upset you.  You can think about how you're going to react.  You can decide if you are going to feel sad, angry, or upset.  You don't like it when you have those feelings, do you?

Holly: No, but I don't like when people call me names or make fun of me.  What else can I do?

Polly: It might help to ignore her...you can pay no attention to what she's saying to you.  You could even pretend that she is invisible.  While you are ignoring her, you could also pretend that the words are bouncing off of you...like a Nerf ball would bounce off of you.

Holly: But what if she doesn't stop?

Polly: Sometimes when ignoring doesn't work, you can try other things.  

Holly:  What else can I do?

Polly: You can thank her for noticing your glasses.

Holly: Thank her for noticing my glasses???!!!

Polly: Yes you could say "Natalie, it makes me feel good that you noticed my glasses.  They help me see as well as you do."  It kind of takes the tease out of it.

Holly: That is really a great idea Polly.  I bet Natalie would be surprised if I thanked her!

Polly: I think you are beginning to understand how to react to Natalie's name-calling so you are not upset.  She probably will stop teasing you if you do not act sad, angry, or hurt.

Holly:  These are really neat ideas.  I never thought that there was anything I could say or do to help myself feel better.  I want to tell you about one more problem.  There is a boy in my class, Teasing Terry, who makes fun of me.

Polly: Tell me more about it.

Holly: This is what happened...Terry said to me:

     "Holly, you are so short!  I bet that you are the shortest person in the whole grade, maybe in the whole school."

Polly: You must have felt badly.

Holly: Well, it's true that  I am the shortest person in my class...maybe even the shortest in the grade.

Polly: What's wrong with the being shortest person in your class?

Holly: Well, I don't like being teased about it.

Polly: No one likes to be teased, but why are you upsetting yourself again?

Holly: Upsetting myself?

Polly: Yes.  Remember, you can decide if you are going to be sad, upset, or not care about what he said.  Holly, someone is always the shortest, tallest, youngest, or the oldest in the class.  Everyone is different.  The difference makes you unique and special.

Holly: You think that I'm special?

Polly: Of course...and you should think you are special too.

Holly: I guess that no one can cause me to be upset.  Polly, thank you so much for helping me.

Polly: We wish that everyone would only say nice things to us...but that just doesn't happen.  No one likes to be called names, but it is not the worst thing...you can handle it.

Holly: Thank you again for all of your great ideas!

Have children role-play the above strategies, including ignoring.

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