Shirley A. Mietlicki
District Specialist, Communities, Families and Youth
Cooperative Extension
University of Massachusetts
Copyright/Access Information
- to use IALAC papers to show how you feel.
It is important that you feel good about yourself. The IALAC activity below may help you keep track of how you are feeling. IALAC stands for I AM LOVABLE AND CAPABLE.
Print the letters IALAC on a sheet of paper. Put it on your
refrigerator. As you go through your day, rip off sections of
the paper when your interactions with others make you feel badly;
add sections to your paper when your interactions with others
make you feel good. The size of your paper will indicate to your
family how you are feeling and your level of selfesteem. It will
let them know when you are in need of some more support and some
extra caring and hugging. The IALAC papers can be made for other
family members and posted in the same way.
Here are examples of some experiences that may affect the size
of your IALAC sign.
1. I sleep late. (rip)
2. I serve cold cereal to save time. My husband won't eat cold
cereal on a cold day. He becomes upset with me. (rip)
3. Everyone leaves. I am drinking my coffee and have some time
to relax before the day care children arrive. (add)
4. My first day care child arrives 15 minutes early. Her mom is
late for work. She asks me to give her child some breakfast. She
states how much she appreciates me for doing these extra things.
(add)
5. The next day care child arrives. He is cranky and upset. His
father is late for work. He runs out the door unable to make the
child happy. (rip)
6. The last three children arrive at the same time. They are fighting
over a toy. (rip)
7. The school calls. My kids are coming home early because of
an electrical problem in the school. I run outside. My car won't
start! I call my neighbor, and she's more than willing to pick
up my children. (add)
8. My children arrive. They decide to put on a puppet show for
the day care children. (add)
9. My insurance agent rings the doorbell. I did not expect him.
(rip)
10. A child cannot find her lunch box. She starts to cry, but
my daughter finds it for her and the child begins to calm down.
(add)
11. I check the chicken in the oven. I realize I never turned
on the oven. (rip)
12. Dinner is going to be late. I explain the situation to my
husband, and he suggests that we go out to eat. (add)
13. It is late, but I take the time to pamper myself with a hot
bubble bath. (add)
By the end of the day, your IALAC sign may be the size of a postage
stamp. If it is, most likely you are not feeling good about yourself.