Rosie Dutton re-shared a story on facebook in which she used two apples to teach children how words can hurt.
Before her class began, She said she would repeatedly drop one of the apples on the floor.
She then introduced the children to the apples, and the class discussed how the two fruits looked the same.
“I picked up the apple I’d dropped on the floor and started to tell the children how I disliked this apple.
I told them that because I didn’t like it, I didn’t want them to like it either".
Dutton then passed around the other apple and asked the class to instead say kind words to it.
“I then held up both apples, and again, we talked about the similarities and differences, there was no change, both apples still looked the same".
“I then cut the apples open.
The apple we’d been kind to was clear, fresh and juicy inside.
The apple we’d said unkind words to was bruised and all mushy inside".
At that moment, Dutton said her children appeared to have had a sudden revelation.
“They really got it ... the mush and the broken bits is what is happening inside every one of us when someone mistreats us with their words or actions”.
She said the purpose of the lesson was to “teach children that it’s not ok to say unkind things to each other and discuss how it makes others feel”.
“More and more hurt and damage happens inside if nobody does anything to stop the bullying.
Let’s create a generation of kind, caring children”