Bart gets into fights with his sister Lisa nearly every day. Here is an example of one of their fights. Bart finds Lisa using his PlayStation and playing his favorite game.
Bart: “Hey, stop playing with my game. Why are you always stealing my stuff?”
Lisa: “Go away, jerk. You’re supposed to share with me. Mom said.”
Bart: “You’re an idiot. It’s mine and you know it.” (Bart grabs the game controller out of Lisa’s hand. She shoves him and runs upstairs.)
Try this exercise!
Can you help Bart and Lisa solve this conflict? Take what you have learned about being a good talker and stop their fight.
Remember: use “I messages”, no name calling, and try not to use absolutes, such as always or never.
Rewrite each statement below to translate what Bart and Lisa are saying into “I messages.” Remember to click “check” and then “next” to see the next question!
Using “I Messages” to Resolve Problems
Here are some ideas that other kids had to help Bart and Lisa do a better job talking to each other.
Bart: “Hey, stop playing with my game. Why are you always stealing my stuff?”
Instead, he could say: “Lisa, I don’t like it when you play with my things without asking.”
Lisa: “Go away, jerk. You’re supposed to share with me. Mom said.”
Instead, she could say: “I asked Mom and she said I could play with it for now.”
Bart: “You’re an idiot. It’s mine and you know it.”
Instead, he could say: “I would like it if you would ask me as well next time you want to play with it. Maybe we can take turns now.”