Did you catch the 50th anniversary airing of Rudolph this week? As I mentioned earlier, I teamed up with PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center. PACER’s Shine Bright is encouraging parents and teachers to use the TV special as an opportunity to spark a conversation with kids or students about acceptance, respect and diversity.
After watching Rudolph this week it was wonderful to chat with my children through the lens of considering how Rudolph is bullied. Rudolph’s unique red nose makes him “shine bright,” and we all have special traits that make us unique and special. We just need to accept ourselves, others, and value the diversity we all bring to the world.
Using a familiar character – that the kids adore and realize is so very special for his differences is a great platform to launch this conversation.
Rudolph & Hermey Face Bullying
Chat with my Kids about Rudolph Being Bullied
We did our own edited version of the activities and questions in the educator’s kit. Here’s what the kids had to say. I loved how I got them thinking about how they were special too as I find it’s great to build kids confidence for them to always remember what makes them “SHINE BRIGHT” or their friends and classmates “shine bright” so they can remember this if they were to someday face teasing or bullies to either themselves or a friend.
1. How do you think Rudolph felt when he was bullied?
Kenzie – Age 9- “Sad because I wouldn’t like it if people just started laughing at me”
Kyle- Age 7 – “Very lonely and sad”
2. I asked my kids to think of 2-3 qualities about themselves that they are proud of…
This was interesting and I realized how important it is to talk to kids about this as I felt both kids really hesitated and weren’t sure what to say. Knowing I want them to always be confident, we’ll be talking about these things so much more now!
Kenzie is proud that she’s a good swimmer, on student council, and that she’s good on video.
Kyle, being only just 7 this past week really struggled answering this question. I told him he should be proud that he is so friendly, good at making friends easily, a great swimmer, and runs super fast.
3. How happy do you think Rudolph felt when Santa asked him to lead the sleigh?
This classic story from the television special can now be enjoyed as an eBook – “The Legend of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” – and one dollar from each purchase will be donated to PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center. Additionally, a portion of the sale of each “ShineBright” t-shirt will be donated to the cause.
For more information or to purchase the eBook or t-shirt, visit PACER.org/ShineBright.
Download Rudolph Classroom Activities to Prevent Bullying
Use these amazing resources in Pacer’s Educator’s Guide to spark the conversation in your classroom or at home with your children to celebrate differences and acceptance. You can download the guide for free here: http://www.pacer.org/bullying/shinebright/pdf/ShineBright_Educator_Guide.pdf
Note: I am a ‘ShineBright’ Ambassador and have been compensated for my participation. All opinions are my own.
What a great idea to use this classic film as a conversation topic for our kids. Love the idea of talking with them about diversity and kindness as well as self-confidence!