Gossiping-Pulling the plug on put-downs, rumors, and trash talk

If you ask parents what they worried would harm their kids the most when their kids were growing up, they will most likely say, “drugs, bad friends, smoking, and booze.”

Few would answer, “gossiping.” Curious isn’t it? Considering that gossip has destroyed many people’s lives. Gossip has damaged marriages, decimated public figures, and ruined businesses. One day it could seriously damage your child’s life as well!

Quite often, gossip is at the root of bullying. With the popularity of various social media, gossip and bullying go hand-in-hand all the more. Standing silent while others gossip is just as harmful as the gossip itself. For example, I’ve heard stories of teenagers creating a Facebook page or event for the express purpose of trash talking one of their peers by scheduling a day to pick on that kid!

If more kids would refuse to participate in this kind of gossip, I believe we would see a decrease in bullying. Educational products meant to improve our kids’ awareness of the dark side of gossiping are rare. And what a shame!

When kids acquire the skills to stop gossiping, friendship can be reclaimed, and good relationships can be nurtured with positive words. Of course, it starts at home where we must learn to speak about others (including our in-laws!) in a more encouraging and respectful manner.

The sooner a child is taught that put-downs, rumors, and trash talks are not acceptable behavior, the better your kid will be for it. In case you haven’t seen them, we have resources to help you tackle gossiping head-on follow the link:

"Look at our  lesson plans on Gossiping"
Choose the lesson plan for the elementary grades you need. Worksheets Immediate Download! Standard PDF format with stimulating graphics.
Grades 123	Grades 456

Explore The Old Compass with your kids and discover characters they will be able to relate to. You will find plenty of material that creates opportunity to talk to them about gossiping! This story is also suitable for school settings so if you are a teacher, your student will find a variety of helpful insights about gossiping and the importance of telling the truth.

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