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---She is always doing that to me.

-Denying responsibility; for example,

---It is not my fault.

---Deon started it.

---I cannot help it. That is just my temper.

---I just have bad luck.

-Self-judging; for example,

---I am just a failure.

---I can never do anything right.

---The other kids think I am stupid.

---I am always wrong.

---I stink!

---I am the worst dancer.

---I am a loser.

---I am going to do awful.

                            Helping Children to Think Rationally

To develop rational thinking, Seligman, Reivich, Jaycox, and Gillham (1995) advice children to use clues and to find the evidence for the negative and self-defeating belief using the following steps:

Step 1: Thought catching; that is, being aware of the irrational beliefs at the times the child feels worst.

Step 2: Evaluating the thought by acknowledging that it is not necessarily true and accurate, and seeing the belief about herself and/or the world as a hypothesis that needs to be tested.

Step 3: Generating a more accurate explanation about the negative event and using that explanation to challenge the irrational thought.

Step 4: Decatastrophizing by redirecting the child’s energy away from feeling sorry, troubled, or angry about the event and toward solving the problem.

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