Thursday, September 3, 2009
It's Real Kids Thursday. Remember how frustrating it was, as a child, when somebody messed with your stuff? "That's mine--don't touch it!" is a frequent childhood statement. Even if they don't take it, or break it, they aren't supposed to touch it unless you specifically give them permission. That's one of those unwritten laws of the world of kids. But some kids like to push people's buttons. Touching somebody's stuff can turn into power play and teasing. Check out the interplay in the video below and watch how scrappy the little guy is. In recent years, some children's books have tried to deal with the issue of bullying. When we set out to write a story, it's good to try to get a fresh angle on a topic. One way to do that is to turn things around--change the typical into the unexpected. In this case, the "bully" is a younger, smaller child. That could be the basis for a funny, interesting story.