(Reading, Essay) Mitchell & Cookie Monster - Right and Wrong
Two-year-old Mitchell walked slowly into his bedroom, rubbing his sleepy eyes. What he saw next made him stop and stare. His caretaker was in the corner, hitting Mitchell's favorite Cookie Monster stuffed animal against the wall. The blue fuzzy toy that Mitchell loved so much was being thrown around like it didn't matter at all.
How It All Started
Earlier that week, Mitchell had been having a really hard time. He wouldn't eat his vegetables at dinner. He threw his toys all over the living room and refused to pick them up. When his caretaker asked him to brush his teeth, Mitchell ran away and hid under his bed. The worst part was when Mitchell bit his caretaker's hand during bath time.
After three days of this behavior, Mitchell's caretaker decided something had to change. "Mitchell," he said firmly, "since you can't behave, Cookie Monster has to go away for a while." Mitchell cried and screamed, but his caretaker took the beloved stuffed animal and put it on a high shelf in the closet.
"You can have Cookie Monster back when you start being a good boy," the caretaker explained. But Mitchell was too upset to listen.
Shocking Discovery
Now, seeing his caretaker attacking Cookie Monster, Mitchell felt confused and scared. The same person who took Cookie Monster away for being "bad" was now being mean to the stuffed animal. Mitchell watched as his caretaker squeezed Cookie Monster tightly and shook him back and forth.
"Bad Cookie Monster!" the caretaker said angrily. "This is your fault Mitchell won't behave!"
Mitchell didn't understand. How could Cookie Monster be bad? Cookie Monster was just a toy. And why was his caretaker being so rough with something that belonged to Mitchell?
Questions to Think About
This situation raises many important questions about what's right and wrong:
Was it fair for the caretaker to take Cookie Monster away from Mitchell in the first place?
Should adults ever take out their anger on a child's toy, even when no one is watching?
If Mitchell was the one misbehaving, why was Cookie Monster being punished?
Was the caretaker setting a good example by being rough with the stuffed animal?
Should Mitchell tell someone else about what he saw, or keep it a secret?
Is it okay for adults to have angry feelings, and if so, how should they handle them?
Would taking away a comfort item like a stuffed animal actually help Mitchell learn to behave better?
What might Mitchell learn about solving problems by watching his caretaker's actions?
Should there be different rules for how adults and children are allowed to act when they're upset?
If you were Mitchell's friend, what advice would you give him about this situation?
Something to Remember
Sometimes adults make mistakes too. They might do things when they're angry or frustrated that they wouldn't normally do. But that doesn't make it right. Everyone - both kids and grown-ups - needs to learn better ways to handle their big feelings.
What do you think Mitchell should do next? And what do you think his caretaker should do to make things right?