"You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think."
KELSO'S CHOICES
Conflict Resolution Skills
Welcome, Kelso’s Choice! Conflict can happen anywhere, especially at home, while playing with siblings, on road trips…the list goes on and on.
Kelso’s Choices
Kelso the frog teaches students how to solve “small” problems on their own. “Small” problems include conflicts that cause “small” feelings of annoyance, embarrassment, boredom, etc. “BIG problems” always need to be taken to an adult. These are situations that are scary, dangerous, illegal, etc.
Kelso has nine choices to solve “small problems.”
These are illustrated in the Kelso’s Choice Wheel. They include:
Go to another game
Talk it out
Share and take turns
Ignore it
Walk away
Tell them to stop
Apologize
Make a deal
Wait and cool off
When a child comes to you to solve their “small problem,” tell them to try one to two of Kelso’s Choices first. If that doesn’t work, then an adult can intervene. Make sure your kids know to ask an adult for help in the event of a “BIG problem.”
KC'S WHEEL
For Older Students
K.C.’s Wheel is for the preteens (grades 4-5) that may be a little too mature for Kelso’s Choice Wheel. There are “minor problems” that cause minor feelings of annoyance, embarrassment, boredom, etc. There are also “SERIOUS problems” that need to be taken to an adult. These are situations that are scary, dangerous, illegal, etc.
There are eight choices to solve “minor problems.” The choice “share and take turns” has been removed since, typically, at grades 4-5 this skill has been developed. There are “verbal choices” and “nonverbal choices” to solve “minor problems”:
verbal choices:
Make a Deal
Tell them to stop
Apologize
Talk it out
nonverbal choices:
Wait and cool off
Walk away
Go to another game
Ignore it