It is extremely common to hear children “blame” others for their behavior.  I’ve worked with kiddos who instantly argue with “but he did it first” when they are corrected for misbehavior.  They might be right… maybe a peer did initiate, but that doesn’t mean the child has to do the same (or retaliate).  It can take a lot of discussion to get a kiddo to acknowledge that they only have control of their own bodies and that they can choose to make good choices regardless of what others are doing around them.

The worksheet below is to help kiddos identify things that are within their control and things that are not within their control.  I typed “to help kiddos,” but guess what?  I’ve met my fair share of adults that would benefit from thinking about this as well!

What I Can/Can’t Control Worksheet (click here to print):