Is The Sky Really Falling?

 

The classic story of Chicken Little has many versions and while the names of the characters may change the story is basically the same. An acorn falls on the head of Chicken Little. Because she didn’t know its source she panicked, convinced herself that the sky was falling and made a foolish decision to run and tell the king.

On her way she met Henny Penny who asked where she was going in such a hurry. Chicken Little quickly explained the situation and convinced Henny Penny to go accompany her to tell the king. Together, they continued their journey.

On their journey they met other friends: Ducky Lucky, Goosey Loosey, and Turkey Lurkey. When each of them learned what happened they were also concerned and wanted to go with her to tell the king.

As they were scurrying along they came upon Foxy Loxy who listened to Chicken Little’s story and acted surprised and very concerned. He volunteered to travel with them and even offered to show them a short cut. They were excited to find a faster way to the King so they followed him without paying attention as he led them to his den. They all went in but none ever came out.

As I thought about this story I wondered why Chicken Little reacted with such panic. I came to two conclusions: 1) she didn’t take the time to gather all the facts about the falling acorn; and 2) her reactions were based on emotions and inaccurate perceptions rather than reason.

One of the best resiliency skills our children can learn is the importance of gathering accurate facts before taking any action. We can help them recognize life’s dangers so they can make accurate decisions based on what they know is right or wrong. We can also help them that they need to be careful in whom they choose to associate with and follow.

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