Let's Celebrate Healthy Choices: A Red Ribbon Story
#5 in Counseling with HEART Series
What’s inside...
This entertaining and educational book is the perfect way to introduce young children to drug prevention and healthy choices during the month of October. With engaging illustrations, rhymes, and a cute story, it teaches children the importance of saying no to drugs and making healthy choices. The book uses simple and easy-to-understand language that makes it ideal for a read-aloud session by teachers on the first day of drug prevention week. It encourages kids to respect themselves and others, and to be drug-free, making drug prevention week a special and memorable time to celebrate.
Discussion points
What are some healthy choices that the characters made in the story?
How did the characters feel after making healthy choices?
Can you think of a time when you made a healthy choice? How did it make you feel?
Why do you think it's important to make healthy choices?
What is one healthy choice you would like to try making tomorrow?
Tip: Role play these questions
Start the conversation by sharing a personal story about a healthy choice you recently made and how it impacted you.
Praise your child for any healthy choices they currently make, reinforcing the positive behavior.
Encourage your child to think about the short-term and long-term benefits of making healthy choices.
Use the characters' experiences in the book as examples to illustrate the positive outcomes of making healthy choices.
Keep the tone light and encouraging, emphasizing that making healthy choices is a positive and rewarding part of life.
Key lessons
Example Lesson: Making healthy life choices
Explanation: The narrative illustrates the importance of choosing a healthy lifestyle through characters facing decisions about drug use and peer pressure.
Real-World Application: Children can apply this lesson by recognizing the importance of making safe and healthy decisions in their own lives, such as saying no to drugs and harmful behaviors.
Example Lesson: The value of friendship and support
Explanation: Throughout the book, characters support each other in making positive choices, demonstrating the strength of friendship.
Real-World Application: Children learn to value and seek support from friends and family when faced with difficult decisions, fostering a supportive community around them.
Example Lesson: Understanding consequences
Explanation: Characters in the story face various consequences based on their decisions, highlighting the cause and effect relationship of their actions.
Real-World Application: This lesson teaches children to consider the potential outcomes of their choices, helping them to think critically and anticipate consequences in real life scenarios.
Example Lesson: Building self-esteem
Explanation: Characters who make positive choices experience an increase in self-esteem, showing readers the emotional benefits of good decisions.
Real-World Application: Children can learn to boost their self-confidence by making and being proud of good choices, which in turn can lead to more positive decision-making.