"I don't want to do this!" Sound familiar? One teacher told her students, “I don’t want to do it either, so let’s just get it done and then we can do something fun.”
There’s an important life lesson here. We all have to do things we don’t want to do. The best thing is to just do it and then you can focus on the things you want to do! Task initiation and delayed gratification are also characteristics of the executive function that we want to encourage. I like to use personal stories that children can relate to when teaching social behaviors. "You know, I really don't enjoy cleaning my house. However, I've learned to just get started and do it and then I can do something fun. Has that ever happened to you?"
Here's a song to the tune of "Three Blind Mice" that might help your students "git 'er dun"!
Just do it!
Just do it!
Put on a grin
And start right in.
If there’s something you don’t want to do.
I have a little trick for you.
Just get started and soon you’ll be through.
Just do it!
Just do it!
You Get What You Get
Have you ever heard your students say, "I don't want that one!" Here's a tune to "The Farmer in the Dell" with a positive twist. Smile and sing and ignore the negative comments.
You get what you get.
You get what you get.
Just like in the gum machine,
You get what you get.
And I just had to include this cartoon today!
