Have a Go Spaghettio! and Psychological Immunisation

Ms. Kylie Smithers, Eductaor

Paxton Popoffalot of Wassup? News here. I’m speaking with Ms Smithers, a Rational Emotive Behaviour Educator in the fifth of five chats about Have a Go Spaghettio! an early childhood, Rational Emotive BehaviourTherapy based pedagogy for early childhood educators, counsellors and learners.

We were talking about helping the victim in the bullying dynamic when we last spoke. Would you like to talk to this Ms Smithers?

“I came across a quote attributed to Jonas Salk, creator of the polio vaccine who said to Martin Seligman,

"If I were a young scientist today, I would still do immunization. But instead of immunizing kids physically, I'd do it your way. I'd immunize them psychologically. I'd see if these psychologically immunized kids could then fight off mental illness better. Physical illness, too."

I found this interesting and in terms of Success Helper/Brain Friend thinking, or in REBT terms, rational thinking, unconditional self-acceptance would be the antidote to beliefs that undermine confidence i.e., conditional acceptance of self, a Success Stopper/Brain Bully habit of thinking. Once identified, the at risk victim, is given a strong dose of ‘I’m worthwhile crocodile’ attention,’ the Red Success Have a GoSpaghettio! Success Helper. “

What does this look like, how is this analogous to the idea of ‘immunisation? Asks Popoffalot.

“From what I can gather when one is immunised the body is rendered resistant to an infectious disease via vaccination. The vaccine ‘trains’ the immune system to recognise and fight viruses and germs that can harm us. Unconditional self-acceptance (Red Success Helper thinking) learning would be the ‘vaccine’ that ‘trains’ the mind to ‘know’ that a healthy ‘self’ doesn’t ‘need’ the approval of others. The child will learn to know that their sense of ‘OK-ness’ doesn’t rely on the assessment of others, they will develop confidence and this attitude will communicate to others strength and personal agency.”

So, teaching unconditional self-acceptance (USA), which you say is a Have a go Spaghettio! Success Helper core belief will effectively inoculate the young person against the bully contagion.

“Yes. The more the child is exposed to the idea of USA, throughout their schooling, and at home, they will eventually get to what Albert Ellis calls, Emotional Insight (EI) where a person automatically lives by the USA principle and can conserve or keep their unconditional self-acceptance status. There are many ways that the young bully victim can be supported in this endeavour, in class, across the school and at home. The goal is to embed the Red Success Helper way of thinking or believing deep in the child’s mind, a psychological bulwark against potential harm, disappointment and unfairness.

Perhaps I can expand on this some time and talk about the practical things a school can do for the potential victim in a bullying scenario. Thanks for your attention Mr Popoffalot.”

Mr Paxton Popoffalot, Wassup? News

You’re welcome Ms Smithers. This is Paxton Popoffalot for Wassup? News signing off from Oondooroo Junior Primary School, in outback South Australia.

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