Why the Captain Underpants backstory gives every kid hope

We live in an age where numerous children are diagnosed with ADHD and other learning difficulties that – for some – define what they are capable of achieving. They are told they aren’t good at listening. That they need to focus if they want to get things done. That they’re a nuisance or a distraction …

If your kid struggles with such labels and you want to show them that these labels won’t prevent them from achieving their dreams, then look no further than the blurb of your nearest Dav Pilkey book.

Dav is the hyper-creative and hilarious author behind the Captain Underpants and Dumb Bunnies series, and if he had listened to what teachers used to say about him in primary school, he would never have achieved what he has today.

In fact, Dav has made an entire comic strip that details what it was like for him to grow up and tackle his ADHD and dyslexia in a productive way that works for him.

In the cartoons, he elaborates on his bad behaviour in school, the way his teachers didn’t get him, and how they told him what he was good at was useless.

The turning point

But it wasn’t until he reached university that he felt an educator truly encourage him. She read his comics, laughed, and told him they were great. She suggested he become a children’s author:

You can read the full comic on Dav’s website here.

A true role model

Thankfully, few primary school teachers we know are quite as bad as Dav’s when it comes to dealing with ‘difficult’ kids. But his story does remind us that it’s so important for kids (like Dav) to have people believe in them. They need guidance and direction and creative ideas of what will work for them – especially considering that the classroom environment doesn’t particularly work for them. 

If you have a kid who might relate to Dav’s story – show them his “about me” blurb and the comic on his website.

After all, as Dav puts it, “If a silly smart-alecky goofball like Dav Pilkey can turn out all right … then there’s hope for every kid.”

This post was originally published on Kinderling Kids Radio. Download the Kinderling app for more great stories.