The Pig in Your Head

By Ashleigh Matthis and Larry Marshall LPC

The author has written a lovely children's story to help kids confront, in a roundabout and fun way, the issue of immediate gratification, which plagues many children (and their parents!). This issue is related through the story of a boy, Bill, who has a gimme want want attitude that is not serving him well. Through the analogy of a pig in a pen, Bill's grandpa teaches him that a pig is best left in its pen, just like the gimme gimme want attitude is best kept contained.

This story is a great way of communicating an important lesson, and parents will surely like the values it is teaching. I also think the story concept section was well written - the author clearly put a lot of thought into the underlying concept of this book. The book interactive nature is also great, and kids will benefit from putting the lessons of this story into practice. ---- Author House Editor

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jul 31, 2015
• ISBN: 9781504924634

Ashleigh Matthis

Larry Marshall offers uncommon clarity on the regulation of human want. After earning his master's degree in counseling psychology, the author has spent more than thirty years working with children and families. He has worked extensively with difficult children, including those children who struggle with oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder. He comes to us at a time when the exaggerated importance of pursuing one's desires is at an all-time high. Emerging from this background in child psychology, the author employs metaphor and rhyme to reach the youngest of minds with this urgent message: learn to say no to the pig in your head. On a deeper note, he conveys a sense of hope in the notion that happiness cannot be found in chasing your wants, but contentment can be discovered on the pathway to self-trust. Ashleigh Matthis (Illustrator) completed drawings for this project at the age of 13. She has a deep passion for her work and believes every drawing to be meaningful and special. Ashleigh is currently in the 11th grade and plans to pursue a career in Illustration and Graphic Design.

Book preview

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© 2015 Larry Marshall, Jr.. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 07/31/2015

ISBN: 978-1-5049-2462-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5049-2463-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015912181

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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Acknowledgements

I would like to give special thanks to the staff and children at Lemay Child and Family Center who provided me with the opportunity and the inspiration to write this book. Much gratitude to Rachel Diamond PhD. for her creative contributions to this project as well as her constant encouragement and support as we piloted the workbook with the children. I would like to express a deep appreciation for Ashleigh Matthis who took the soul of this story and brought it to life with her extraordinary illustrations. A special thanks to Diana Matthis for her extraordinary work with the graphics and layout of the book and of course for recommending her daughter as the Illustrator of this project. Thank you Nancy Mesey LPC for suggesting to include the workbook along with the story. I would like to send out many thanks to those kind individuals who read over the text, and gave such enthusiastic reassurance along the way.

About the Author

The author offers uncommon clarity on the regulation of human want. After earning his master’s degree in counseling psychology, the author has spent more than thirty years working with children and families. He has worked extensively with difficult children, including those children who struggle with oppositional defiant disorder and conduct