Hold Your Horses!

As part of a guidance lesson on using self-control, I read some first graders a book about a fun-loving shark named Clark who definitely needed to tone it down in school. He was friendly and happy, but always got into trouble with his teachers and peers due to his impulsive, noisy, insensitive ways. Well at one point in the story, the shark's friends had had it up to here with him and angrily started yelling a litany of complaints and instructions. Some of their pleas to Clark the Shark were expressions such as, "Take it down a notch!", "Chill!", "Calm down!", and "Cool your jets!" After reading that part of the story, I continued on to the next page when I heard a little boy sitting against the wall exclaim, "Ho-o-o-old your horses, Clark!" Now how can you not crack up at that? We all started laughing, and hilarity ensued! No self-control was needed for a minute or so!