What is the story about?
It’s about being heard and listening, not being ignored and being valued.
Tom had a bad day, a very stressful day, and Phil [his support worker] ignored him and was rushing him. Tom gets so angry he pushes him. He says, “Leave me alone! Get out of my house!”
Tom feels vulnerable. He regrets pushing Phil. It was too far. He feels low and depressed, like the whole world is on top of him. Then he remembers if he feels down he can call Lois to tell her how he is feeling. She comes over and calls Phil to sort it out.
Tom tells them what happened: “He was rushing me, and I didn’t like that. He didn’t care about my feelings. He left without sorting it out and I feel bad.” Phil is listening and feels ashamed and says why he was in a rush. Phil feels guilty and bad and has a think.
Lois helps them sort it out. They look at some hobbies together. Tom thinks, “This will help me be less stressed”. Then Phil comes and rides a bike together with Tom to help him feel less stressed. He’s happy now.
Why is the book important?
It talks about feelings and emotions. People don’t show their feelings enough. If you keep it inside it will all boil up. You can’t be hard as nails.
Who would find this book helpful?
People who feel like they are alone and that the world is on their shoulders. It would be good for teenagers and anyone who gets angry.
Feeling Cross and Sorting It Out was produced in partnership with Dimensions, focusing on how interaction and communication impact on behaviour.