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In this story: Practising empathyCrocosmileACTS LIKE A BULLY

Copyright © Rounders Entertainment Oy Translator: Mia SpangenbergThis translation has been done with the financial assistance of FILI – Finnish Literature Exchang.

CrocosmileACTS LIKE A BULLYAuthors: Julia Pöyhönen ja Heidi LivingstonIllustrator: Matias Teittinen

If you look high up in the sky you will see a very beautiful cloud. This is Sunny Cloud where a bunch of friendly creatures called the Roundies live.All Roundies have different personalities and experience emotions in different ways. There are lots of feelings to explore in Sunny Cloud, and they’re all equally important!MEETTHEROUNDIES

CRANKY CRABBIEMe grumpy? No way! That makes me grumpy! Arrgh!SISU FOX I never give up! If it takes a while to get it right, I’ll just keep trying!CHEERAFFEEverybody is good at something. I’m good at cheering – Hurray!BOUNCY BANANA I’m a non-stop motion machine – wheeeeee!TIMID PENGUINWhat’s that? Who’s there? I don’t like this!CROCOSMILEBeing happy feels good – and I like to make others laugh too!PINKY PERFECT I like everythingto be just right all of the time!

The sun is shining, and the snow is sparkling in Sunny Cloud. It’s the perfect weather for the Roundies’ winter carnival! The contestants are bubbling with excitement at the starting line. Cheeraffe has agreed to be the judge. The first competition is a sledding race. “On your marks, get set, GO!” Cheeraffe calls out and waves his flag.

The snow flies as Sisu Fox and Bouncy Banana race down the hill. Crocosmile and Cranky Crabbie are right on their heels. When Crocosmile steers their sled onto the jump, he and Cranky Crabbie take the lead. “Woohoo! Here come the champions!” Cranky Crabbie yells. “Full speed ahead!” Bouncy Banana cheers on his racing companion. Pinky Perfect steers the sled with calm determination. But Timid Penguin feels they’re going a tad too fast. “Are we almost at the finish line?” Timid Penguin keeps repeating, tightly clutching the edges of the sled.

Suddenly the race takes a surprising turn. Crocosmile and Crankie Crabbie’s sled crashes! Their sled flips over and throws them headlong into the snow! “Break, Pinky!” Timid Penguin squeaks in warning. Pinky Perfect notices the danger and manages to steer clear of the accident in the nick of time. Pinky Perfect and Timid Penguin glide to a second-place finish, and they find Sisu Fox and Bouncy Banana celebrating their victory.

As the others celebrate, the race’s favourites clamber out of the snow. “Why weren’t you more careful?!” Cranky Crabbie snaps as she shakes snow from her claws. “I tried, I did…” Crocosmile mumbles, feeling embarrassed. Crocosmile can’t believe their bad luck. He had already imagined himself as the winner with everyone admiring him. Now Sisu Fox and Bouncy Banana are celebrating victory, and no one is paying any attention to Crocosmile. He feels upset. He feels bad and unseen.

Why does winning feel so important?

“Contestants, your attention please! Next up is our ball throwing competition,” Cheeraffe announces. Bouncy Banana is the first to step up and throw the ball. “Easy peasy,” Bouncy Banana cries, but he can’t get himself to focus properly. His snowball flies in the wrong direction and almost hits Sisu Fox! One after the other, the contestants realize that making an accurate throw is surprisingly difficult. The snowballs whiz past the target by a wide margin, or then they don’t quite make it far enough.

Finally it’s Crocosmile’s turn. His snowball hits the bullseye. Everyone cheers. Buoyed by the attention, Crocosmile keeps throwing snowballs and hits the bullseye time and time again. He celebrates wildly between his throws and makes his friends laugh with his victory dance. “Perfect score for Crocosmile!” the judge announces at the encouragement of the cheering crowd. Crocosmile enjoys the positive attention. “Everyone admires me,” he thinks proudly and feels that he is important.When do people admire you?

Pinky Perfect is the last contestant. He focuses, lifts his back leg into the air and throws the snowball with an odd cry. His technique looks odd, but it works. Pinky Perfect hits the bullseye with every throw. Crocosmile doesn’t feel happy about his friend’s success. “I’m not special after all,” he thinks despondently as everyone starts cheering for Pinky Perfect.

What would you do in this situation?Crocosmile wants to be the center of attention again, and he comes up with what he thinks is a good idea. “Well, aren’t you a flashy little pig,” he says meanly, looking at Pinky with a scornful expression. The others laugh at his words, which only encourages Crocosmile. He starts mocking Pinky Perfect by imitating his throwing style. “Eee-ooo,” he cries while delicately lifting his back leg and waving it in the air. Then Bouncy Banana wants to imitate Pinky, and Cranky Crabbie laughs until tears come to her eyes. Timid Penguin watches quietly from the sidelines. He doesn’t find this funny at all, but he doesn’t dare say anything.

Pinky Perfect gets perfect scores for all his throws, but he looks everything but happy. He knows the others are making fun of him. Pinky Perfect turns and runs away with his bobbing gait before the others can see that he is crying. His abrupt departure and funny running style encourage more laughter. They laugh so hard, tears stream down their cheeks.

“Stop that!” Sisu Fox stands in the middle of the group looking sternly at everyone. “Stop it right now! Teasing others like that isn’t allowed!” he goes on. The laughter stops. Only Bouncy Banana chuckles a few more times, but then he grows quiet, too. “I…I didn’t mean it that way,” Crocosmile says. He realises he went too far and hurt Pinky Perfect’s feelings. He feels ashamed; he hadn’t considered Pinky’s feelings at all.Have you ever hurt someone’s feelings without realising it?

Meanwhile, Cheeraffe has located her friend cowering behind a snowbank. Pinky Perfect’s tears glitter on his cheeks like drops of ice. “I don’t want to go on with the competition. I’m no good, and everyone is laughing at me,” Pinky Perfect sniffles. “No, you’re doing so well!” Cheeraffe encourages him. “Besides, what’s most important is that everyone competes in their own style – whether they win or not. You’re great just as you are!”Whatcomfortingwords wouldfeel goodto you?

Pinky Perfect slowly begins to calm down and agrees to go back to the arena with Cheeraffe. The last competition is a skating competition – that’s Pinky Perfect’s favourite! “Just skate your own way, that’s enough,” Pinky Perfect mumbles to himself as he keeps Cheeraffe’s encouraging words in mind.

Once Cheeraffe gives the starting signal, the Roundies shoot ahead. Anyone could win! Pinky Perfect pushes himself to get off to a running start. But something is off. Pinky Perfect still feels sad, and it feels like a weight is holding him back. He ends up hopelessly behind the others.

Suddenly Pinky Perfect feels a friendly nudge on his shoulder. Crocosmile has abandoned his place in the lead to help Pinky Perfect. “Are you ready? Let’s go!” Crocosmile says and smiles. Pinky Perfect feels joy and warmth spreading through his insides, and it gives him new strength.

Together Pinky Perfect and Crocosmile are unbeatable. They rhythmically glide together side by side, skating fast, and they cross the finish line at the same time.

“Dear contestants, the points have been counted…” Cheeraffe’s announcement causes a stir among the Roundies, calmly enjoying their hot cocoa. Excitement bubbles among the group of tired contestants. “And the winner is…Pinky Perfect!” Cheeraffe announces. Pinky Perfect prances up to the winner’s podium in surprise and accepts a gleaming gold trophy with a sweet bow.

Crocosmile feels the sting of disappointment, but once he sees his friend’s happy expression, his feelings quickly change to happiness. “Pinky Perfect’s the winner, because he’s simply the best!” Crocosmile calls out with the chant he makes up on the spot, and everyone joins in. “Pinky Perfect’s the winner, because he’s simply the best!” Crocosmile feels proud of himself and his friend as he looks at Pinky Perfect smiling in the midst of the celebration.Why doesn’t losing bother Crocosmileafter all?

Stop bullying now!You know it’s not allowedStop bullying now!And respect can be found

Stop bullying now!Hey, let’s sing it out loudStop bullying now!

Bullying is always a group-wide phenomenon. It can be transient and sporadic, or it can turn into systematic ill treatment of one person or several people in a group. Bullying is quite common in groups of children. We all need to feel valued and that we are part of a group, but children are still learning how to meet these needs. Excluding and belittling others are easy ways to gain respect and strengthen one’s own position in a group.The situation described in this story is one that people of all ages can identify with: Crocosmile isn’t the best in a competition, and he doesn’t get to celebrate victory and be the center of attention. To meet his own needs to feel noticed and appreciated, he begins mocking and belittling Pinky Perfect. The other Roundies are amused by Crocosmile’s antics, and the situation becomes ripe for bullying.Bullying often strengthens relationships between other members of the group. Crocosmile, Cranky Crabbie and Bouncy Banana all feel a strong sense of belonging as they continue joking at Pinky Perfect’s expense, and it is a powerful, rewarding feeling. If no one had intervened in the situation, this feeling would probably have encouraged them to continue bullying Pinky Perfect.For parents and educators

!Dierent kinds of roles are associated with the phenomenon of bullying. Even if bullying isn’t planned or intentional, abusive behavior should always be tackled quickly. Otherwise there is the risk that these roles will become permanent, and a culture of acceptance will form in the group that is not easy to change.Children are just beginning to form their identity, and children absorb the feedback they receive from others, just like sponges. However, they don’t know how to put it in perspective or understand its truthfulness. Negative feedback, mean looks and malicious remarks are things that remain at top of mind much more easily than praise or kind words do. That is why bullying is so destructive and why it is so important to stop it as quickly as possible.Roles related to the phenomenon of bullying:The child being bullied (Pinky Perfect)The child who engages in bullying (Crocosmile)The child who joins in bullying (Bouncy Banana and Cranky Crabbie)The child who watches from the sidelines (Timid Penguin)The child who interferes (Sisu Fox)The child who comforts the bullied child (Cheeraffe)

Helping children to understand bullyingEmpathy involves the ability to understand another person’s feelings and to feel compassion toward them, even if you yourself experience the situation dierently. An empathetic person can selessly listen to someone else and be there for them. Empathy gradually develops as children grow. Children may be able to show empathy when they are calm, but those skills are often quickly forgotten when their own feelings are at stake, for example, in the midst of an argument. It is also harder for us as adults to be empathetic if we feel that we have been mistreated. A child who is bullying another child is unable to see the consequences of their actions or to put themselves in the shoes of the person they are bullying.This story gives children the opportunity to explore what bullying is like outside of their own daily lives, and they can practice empathy by putting themselves in the shoes of the dierent characters. It’s important to talk about bullying, even if it doesn’t currently aect a child’s life. The more children know about bullying, the easier it is for them to protect themselves from the dierent roles around the phenomenon of bullying and to promote a safe atmosphere in their groups through their own actions.

Questions for discussion:Why is Crocosmile acting like a bully? (He wants attention and to be appreciated by the group.)Who else engages in bullying behaviour? (Bouncy Banana and Cranky Crabbie)How and why do Bouncy Banana and Cranky Crabbie get involved in the bullying? (They start laughing at Pinky Perfect’s expense, and their bullying strengthens their relationship.)Why doesn’t Timid Penguin say anything? (He doesn’t dare to. Maybe he is afraid the others will laugh at him, too, or that he will be expelled from the group.)How does Pinky Perfect feel? (He thinks he’s inferior because he’s being bullied. He feels sad.)How does Sisu Fox defend Pinky Perfect? (He goes in the middle of the group and says: “Stop it! Bullying isn’t allowed!”)How does Cheeraffe help Pinky Perfect? (She listens to Pinky Perfect and comforts him, and reminds him that he is great just the way he is.)How does Crocosmile make up for his actions? (He helps Pinky Perfect in the skating competition.)

Support emotional and friendship skillsHelping children to strengthen their emotional skills is an important tool in preventing bullying. When children are able to identify, put into words and regulate their own feelings as well as understand others’ emotions, they will be able to constructively resolve everyday conicts. They will also develop ways to deal with challenging emotions that surface in human relationships, like shame, inferiority, jealousy, and feeling like an outsider. Children will learn to accept these feelings and understand their signicance and not perceive them as a threat they must ght against by putting down others or bolstering their own sense of self-worth.Children develop their friendship skills along with their emotional skills in their interactions with other people. Even infants practise their social skills by observing how the people around them treat them and each other. Parents and educators can already teach constructive friendship skills very concretely to toddlers and older children: “Say thank you,” “Ask her if she would like to play tag,” “Please wait your turn,” “You can watch the show together.” The behaviours adults focus on are the ones that are reinforced in the child’s own conduct. That’s why it’s worth praising and specically pointing out the kinds of behaviours that you would like to see children practising: “Wow, you kids are good at taking turns,” “Thank you for being so exible,” “Good job negotiating.” As children grow, creating and maintaining relationships increasingly becomes their own responsibility, but organising playdates, getting to know a child’s circle of friends, and maintaining relationships with the parents of those friends are still important ways to support a child’s friendships.

!You can naturally strengthen emotional and friendship skills by talking about emotions and dierent kinds of social situations every day. When you talk to a child about the events of the day, don’t always settle for a short answer, but ask additional questions: What was the best or worst thing that happened today? Who did you play with? Did you nd a playmate when you wanted one? Were you inadvertently left out? How did you feel in the group today? Observe the child’s body language and expressions during the conversation. Is it hard or uncomfortable for them to talk about their day? These kinds of questions can help you keep track of how your child experiences being in a group and the relationships with their peers, and it will allow you to address potential challenges quickly. Tip: Images conveying emotions can help children talk about their day on an emotional level.Check out the Roundies Emotion Cards and Memory Game on roundies.fi.

What should you do when you encounter bullying?Tackling bullying is dicult. A situation which encourages bullying can develop quickly and remain unnoticed, and a child may fear becoming an outsider in the group if they step up to defend others. That’s why it is worthwhile to talk and think about concrete methods a child can utilize if they are bullied, see others being bullied, or have bullied someone themselves.When someone bullies someone elseIn this book, Sisu Fox intervenes by saying “Stop it! Bullying isn’t allowed!” You can teach this phrase to a child so they know what to say when they are being bullied or see someone else being bullied. The child can stretch out their hand and use their body to step between the bully and the person being bullied. Several children making the gesture at the same time sends a strong signal to the group that bullying is not tolerated. The child can also help the bullied person by comforting them as Cheerae comforts Pinky Perfect. Children can take others by the hand and invite them to join the others in their games or ask for help from an adult. For someone who has experienced bullying, a person who goes to their side and listens to them oers them important support, as it validates their experiences.When someone is bulliedIf a child has been bullied, it is important to help them understand that it is not their fault, and instead to realise that it’s the bully’s attempt to get power and attention in a group. It’s worthwhile to keep telling the child that they are great just the way they are. Children need empathy, comforting words, and space to deal with their feelings and experiences, without fear from an adult. Cooperation between the adults in a child’s home and their school or daycare setting is extremely important. If a child reports bullying to an adult at home, it is a good idea to be in touch with the adults in the school or daycare setting, even if the bullying doesn’t directly aect your own child. When parents and educators work closely together to ensure no one is bullied, children have very little leeway to treat each another poorly.

When someone is a bullyIf a child realises they have bullied others, they can tell an adult or apologize to the person they have bullied themselves, either with words or by deeds, just as Crocosmile does in the story. But admitting your own mistakes isn’t easy. A child may downplay the situation or laugh at it as a way to regulate their feelings of shame, and it does not necessarily mean that the child does not understand they have done something wrong. Children who have bullied others also need empathy and understanding. Stigmatising one child as the bully increases the risk that the child will begin to see themselves as a bully and will continue to behave poorly towards others.Use the following questions to increase your understanding of a child’s actions: • Why was the child a bully? What were they aiming for?• What are some constructive ways the child could make themselves heard and visible in their group?• What can you do when you want appreciation and respect from others?• What can you do if you are afraid of being left out and not having any friends?

It is only when we understand bullying as a phenomenon in which all children’s needs must be seen and recognized that we can find and teach children new ways to face and deal with bullying. Then it also becomes possible to effectively prevent and eradicate the culture of bullying altogether.At the end of the story, Crocosmile nds a way to harness his need to be the center of attention for something good. He comes up with a cheer which gets everyone to come together to celebrate Pinky Perfect. Children need support from adults to learn constructive ways to help them feel safe in a group. It is extremely important that the child engaging in bullying doesn’t become a target and isn’t left out of games – that is also a form of bullying!

!Tip for early childhood education!The Roundies Empathy Wizards program strengthens social skills, provides structures that prevent bullying in groups, and gives children words and the understanding they need to talk about friendship and the many facets of bullying.sel.roundies.fi

It’s time for the Roundies’ winter carnival full of fun competitions. Crocosmile is sure he will win the sledding race, but then an unexpected turn of events puts him at the back of the pack. Crocosmile feels awful when the others celebrate their success, and he is overlooked. Crocosmile loves to make others laugh, and so he comes up with what he thinks is a funny joke that puts him back in the spotlight. But Crocosmile’s joke comes at Pinky Perfect’s expense and doesn’t feel good to Pinky Perfect at all. Will Crocosmile realise that he’s gone too far and make it up to Pinky Perfect? This story featuring Crocosmile teaches children important emotional skills: • Understanding bullying and how to intervene • How to show empathy • How to make up for one’s actions