George Baily on Character.

It's a Wonderful Life is one of my all-time favorite movies.

Here is a photo of the T.V. that I had taken on 12/24/10 while watching this movie at my parent's house. It was odd. I had the camera at that moment to take a picture of my brother and his son right when this part of the movie was showing. I just snapped it.

That is one of my favorite parts. George Bailey tells Mr. Potter how it is.



George Bailey: "Just a minute -- just a minute. Now, hold on, Mr. Potter. You're right when you say my father was no businessman. I know that. Why he ever started this cheap, penny-ante Building and Loan, I'll never know. But neither you nor anyone else can say anything against his CHARACTER, because his whole life was - why, in the twenty-five years since he and Uncle Billy started this thing, he never once thought of himself. Isn't that right, Uncle Billy?"

Mr. Bailey had character. He did the right thing. He thought about others. He was fair. He helped people in need. He had a big heart. These were the reasons he started the Building and Loan.

I created Building Character with Sam and Izzy to help teach the same CHARACTER traits.

If you've not done so already -- get a copy of the book. Click the picture of the book here:

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Be sure to send a quick email to Danny (Danny at DannyPettry.com) to let him know who to write the book to. Here is an example: “To Abby and Dalton.”

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Lessons from animals

Anne-Marie O’Neill suggested “5 things you can learn from your pet” in the January 2011 issue of Real Simple Magazine.
As you already know, I used animals (dogs and cats) to teach children 15 character traits in my 2010 book, “Building Character with Sam, Izzy, and Many Other Dogs.” I think the concept that animals can teach people is wonderful.
In a nutshell, ONeill recommends:

1. Celebrate everything. You know how a dog gets really happy for anything. Example: someone walks in the door. Celebrate. Going to the shop or office? Celebrate! Sounds good to me.
2. Be there. This doesn’t require talking. It is just being present. Feeling down? It’s amazing how some pets seem to be empathetic. They have a certain ability to know how their owner is feeling. (at least some pets.) My parent’s cat is oblivious to others.
3. You don’t have to be super smart. Some animals aren’t the brightest.
4. Be yourself. This one is about doing your own thing without trying to impress others. Think for yourself. Make decisions on your own. Be independent like a cat.
5. If a dog can get along with anybody – a person could too. Dale Carnegie said that the easiest way to get along with others is to behave like a dog.
O’Neill suggests 5 interest tips that I like.

If you’d like to know 15 tips that animals can teach children then check out my book here. It includes 15 tips that help children build character (with the help from animals). The story about a dog who listens shows a picture with a dog with an ear raised up. The story of acceptance shows two very different dogs (bulldog and Chihuahua) who accept each other despite their differences. The story on forgiving shows a picture of a dog chewing shoes.

Did you know...

Did you know…
That Target gives 5% of its income to support education.
Apparently they give about $3 million a week.
They’ve announced a Big Goal. They’re pledging to give $500 by the end of 2015 to help education. In particular to help kids learn how to read.
More information here:

http://www.Target.com/reading

What is your goal for the new 2011 year?
What is your goal to complete before 2015?

Dec. 10th is Wear Star Wars to support Katie Day!

Katie Goldman is a cute little first grader and she loves “Star Wars!”
CNN’s reporter Jamie Gumbrecht said that “the force is strong with Katie!”

I felt upset to hear that children would tease and bully Katie because she loved “Star Wars,” but very pleased to hear about the support for Katie, which I’ll tell you more about below.

But first, I want to say:

Bullying and teasing are two things I can’t stand the least.
I’m a big advocate for teaching children (and adults) to be accepting of others.
As a recreational therapist, I provide violence prevention programs, social skills training, empathy building, and other life skills training for children ages (8 to 12).

Back to the story:

Katie had always taken a “Star Wars” water bottle to school when one day her mother noticed that Katie had asked to take a pink one instead.

Katie was in tears when she told her mother that the kids told her that “Star Wars” is only for boys.

Katie;s story went viral. It even made CNN news when her mother Carrie Goldman posted a blog entry with picture of Katie asking for help.

Blogger Jen Yates had empathy for little Katie.

She couldn’t get the thought of her out of her mind.

Yates said she felt isolated in high school for being a “Star Trek” fan. Jennifer Yates blog entry has went viral across the internet and has reached CNN. I think Yates said it best in her blogpost:

“Don't let the scruffy nerf herders get you down. You rock that water bottle with pride, and know that there are thousands of other fans out there (myself included) who would be proud to share a lunch table with you.”

People are encouraged to wear Star Wars on Dec. 10th in support of Katie and anti-bullying. Please donate a Star Wars toy to a local charity for children on this day too.

Here is an amazon link for a children's book that you order and donate to your child's school library:

Are you a teacher, therapist, or parent?

Do you want to teach your child how to be a better person? Of course you do. I doubt a person would want their child to be the bully. My new children's book, Building Character with Sam, Izzy, & Many Other Dogs is a great way to teach your child about accepting others, compromising, having good sportsmanship, being respectful, generous, helpful, empathetic, and more.

You'd like for your child or a child you know to develop and improve these skills, wouldn't you? You like pictures of cute animals don't you? All right then. Just read the book to your child.

Pet Therapy for Veterans.

Mark Thompson had written an article for Time that was featured today (Dec. 5, 2010) called,
Bringing Dogs to Heal: Care for Veterans with PTSD.

As a Recreational Therapist, I am familiar with animal-assistance dogs and dogs that are used for therapeutic healing.

In a nutshell, Thompson’s article was about Brad Fasnacht (26 y.o./ staff sergeant) who had been seriously injured when removing mines from roads in Afghan. Brad had broken his spine and both ankles and was in a stupor for two weeks. He had traumatic brain injury and now suffered with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Brad had awoken from his stupor at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC. Walter Reed uses dogs in their therapies. Thompson reported that Dr. Sandra Barker (Virginia Commonwealth University) had pushed for the program at Walter Reed. I [Danny Pettry] also I imagine there was a strong push from their recreational therapists, too.

Brad received a therapy dog, Sapper, (an Australian cattle dog mix) to help him with his PTSD.

Barker has published several studies. A 1998 study found that patient’s anxiety dropped twice as much when spending time with dogs as it did compared to standard therapeutic recreation (music and art) that was provided.

Barker had also published in 2003 a study that showed significant reduction in fear among patients scheduled for electroconvulsive therapy (after spending 15-minutes with a dog).


You can read the full article here:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2030897-2,00.html#ixzz17IaZTGtw

Dogs are humankind’s best friend for sure.


Dogs and (some cats) were used in my children’s book to teach social skills to children. The book features pictures of cute animals to illustrate concepts such as: being fair, considerate, empathetic, and generous.

Get the book here:



NEED CEUS?

Recreational Therapists and other allied professionals can register for a self-study course titled “Therapeutic Outcomes for Using Dogs as a Pet Therapy Approach.” It is worth 5 clock hours of continuing education at my web-site.

Go here to register for it and other courses:

http://www.dannypettry.com/Courses.htm