Good or Bad Attitude

Objective: To help children understand that they can choose to have a good or a bad attitude when they don’t get their way.

Scripture: Philippians 2:5

I have what may be a new word for you – “attitude.” Attitude is the way you react when things don’t go your way. When we don’t get what we want we can choose to have a GOOD ATTITUDE (show smiley face)  or we can choose to have a BAD ATTITUDE (show frowning face.)

To help explain I want to tell you a story about Reggie. Usually Reggie and I walk every morning and then late in the day, we play. When we play I let Blue (our other dog) out of her pen and I throw the ball for both dogs to chase. Actually, Blue only chases Reggie. Reggie retrieves the ball. Reggie likes to play better than he likes to walk. But I prefer to walk!

Not long ago, we missed our morning walk, so that afternoon I decide we will walk instead of play. Reggie gets his ball and is ready to go out. I take the ball and put it away. Then I put the Gentle Leader and the leash on Reggie and we start out for a walk.

Reggie isn’t happy! He obviously wants to play. But I win the debate and we walk. But Reggie has a bad attitude. (Show frowning face.) He walks with his head and tail down, his mouth tightly closed, taking stiff legged baby steps. I am pulling forward and Reggie is pulling back. We take a walk but neither of us has any fun because Reggie has a bad attitude. (Show frowning face.)

Nobody gets to do what he or she wants to do or have things go their way all the time. But we can always choose how we are going to react when we don’t like the way things are going. We can choose to have a good attitude (Show smiley face.) Or we can choose to have a bad attitude (Show frowning face.)

Just suppose your class (kindergarten or school) is going to have a field trip. The class will vote on whether to go to the Children’s Museum or Tuttle’s Orchard. You really, really want to go to the Children’s Museum, but most of the class votes to go to Tuttles. You have a choice; you can go to Tuttles with a bad attitude (Show frowning face) make yourself and everyone around you miserable. Or you can choose to have a good attitude (show smiley face) and make the best of it, enjoying the apples, pumpkins and corn maze at Tuttles. You might even have a great time! It’s amazing how a good attitude can change things.

The Bible tells us in Philippians 2:5

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.”

Jesus always had a good attitude – even when he was dying on the cross!

                                                                                        

                                                                                       

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