101 Healing Stories for Kids and Teens

Resources Developed

■ Learning to step aside from the emotional response

■ Looking at things more rationally

■ Experimenting to find what works

■ Learning to do something different

■ Being grateful

Outcomes Offered

■ Enhanced relationship skills
■ Better affect management
■ Rational thinking
■ Enjoyment of your successes
Raelene always seemed to be in trouble with her stepmother and, if she was in trouble with her
stepmother, it also meant she would be in trouble with her dad. As soon as her dad got home, her
stepmother would tell him all the things Raelene had done and hadn’t done. To Raelene it seemed
like her stepmother was screaming all the time—and screaming specifically at Raelene. She never did
it to her own kids or when Raelene’s dad was around.
Raelene couldn’t bear it. She tried to keep to herself and out of her stepmother’s way. At times
she shut herself in her room but her stepmother would follow her in, still shouting at her to do things.
She hated being shouted at and, trying to avoid it, she always ended up in trouble.
You see, there was something that Raelene didn’t know. I guess she was young and sometimes
you don’t always know these things when you are young. All she knew was that when her stepmother
screamed at her she would end up in trouble.
One day, when her stepmother had been screaming, Raelene went outside to get away from it
all. Her pet dog, Crystal, came running up to her, tail wagging and tongue lolling out of her mouth,
but Raelene had had enough and screamed at Crystal. Crystal dropped her tail between her legs and
turned around to run off, looking for a place to hide—sort of like Raelene did when her stepmother
screamed at her. Now, Raelene was a smart kid and she noticed what went on around her, even if she
didn’t always understand. She saw how Crystal had run away when she screamed. She thought how
it was like what she did when her stepmother screamed at her.
At school, Raelene was studying science and had learned about experiments, so she decided to
carry out an experiment with Crystal. She sat down on the ground, closer to Crystal’s height where
she could see Crystal’s nose and eyes peeping around the corner of the house from where she’d re-
treated. Raelene began to talk to Crystal in a soft, gentle voice. This was the experiment. Whatshe
said and howshe said it was different. Her words said Crystal was a naughty dog for running away and
hiding. However, she said it in a gentle, loving, and caring voice. Soon Crystal popped out from
around the corner and came back with her tail wagging, tongue lolling, and her whole body sway-
ing with excitement.
Raelene continued her experiment. She now told Crystal what a good dog she was and how she
was the only person who seemed to understand Raelene—but howshe did it was in a loud, shouting
voice. Crystal again dropped her tail between her legs and ran around the corner.

MANAGING EMOTIONS

Managing Emotions 137