Tropicalia Island

FUNDACIÓN RANA

A secret is information that a person keeps and does not share with anyone, either by choice or because someone has asked them not to.

Secrets are part of social life, and several types can be identified:

• Good secrets: positive information, such as a gift or a surprise party.
• Neutral secrets: related to another person’s privacy (for example, “I think a girl from another class is very pretty”).
• Bad secrets: situations that cause fear or involve manipulation (“You can’t tell what happened; if you do, I’ll hit you”).

The challenge for children is to identify which secrets are good and which are not. Good secrets can create happiness, neutral ones can create a sense of complicity, and bad secrets can create discomfort, sadness, guilt, or shame.

It is essential for children to recognize bad secrets, because they are not real secrets but tools of manipulation that may hide harmful situations. In early childhood, we recommend that there be no secrets: everything a child experiences should be transparent with their family, in order to avoid deception and keep them safe.

In Tropicalia Island, secrets are addressed when the tribe leader says goodbye to Nil and Mango. The island is an emotional roller coaster, and sometimes visitors do not share everything they experience. It is important for children to explain everything they feel and live through to trusted adults, so they can receive support and be understood in their needs, wishes, and concerns.

During the reading, what questions can we ask ourselves?

• The leader says that for many people, visiting the island is a secret. Is going to Tropicalia a good secret?
• Can Nil tell his family about the dream he had? And his friends or teachers?
• Have you ever wondered whether you could tell something or not? If you dreamed about an adventure, would you tell me? If someone did something to you that you didn’t like, would you tell someone?

Recommended family activity

• Take a box and decorate it however you like.
• Explain to the child that if one day they need help, want to tell something but don’t know how to start, or feel sad, they can make a drawing and place it inside the box.
• By checking the box regularly, the family can start a conversation at a calm moment, creating a safe space to talk about what is worrying the child.