Teaching Kids Consistency through Role Playing

Role playing – It is a fabulous tool. Teaching kids consistency through role playing is the next lesson in my character development series. Consistency is the word of the week.

There are many learning benefits for kids as they role play situations. It is a part of their natural development process. It is why you see your kids acting things out in their play kitchen or play stores. Forts, dress-up, and imaginative play are all a natural flow from internal development.

Role playing teaches kids confidence, skills, communication and problem solving. It can also reveal their own behaviors more clearly.

Consistency Bible Verse

“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadiest, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” – 2 Corinthians 15:58

Teaching Kids Consistency through Role Playing

My kids can be black and white in their mood. They can be laughing and playing in one moment and then completely falling apart in the next. We can ask them to go to the stairs until they have a happy heart, and they can turn off the tears immediately.

In talking about consistency this week, I definitely wanted to address this issue of emotions being all over the map. The second declaration in our “I Will” statements for consistency is, ” I will keep my good behavior more regular.” Today’s lesson focuses on this statement.

To look at consistency, we started to explore opposites. I asked them to tell me the opposite of short, big, open, day, black, hot, loud, etc. I told them that opposites are two opposing extremes. Those were some new word for them, so we had to dive into it some more.

I then explained that it not being consistent if you are going rapidly between two extremes. Next, we jumped into role playing by showing our opposite emotions.

Opposite Emotions Explored Through Role Playing

Looking at the two ends of extreme emotions helps us to find a more consistent middle ground.

Make sure kids know that feeling emotions is good and healthy. It’s the extreme back and forth as well as letting our emotions lead us to sin that can become a problem for the kids.

When our children cry wolf with extreme emotions, we don’t trust them when they are really hurting, fearful or sad. Teaching a consistency that is present until those real emotions hit is part of the goal. Part of this is something I need to focus on with my kids because of their flare for the dramatic.

Here are some of the faces we made and the extreme emotions they represent:

Peaceful vs. Angry

Really happy vs. really sad

Really relaxed vs. really goofy

My Own Look at Consistency through Role Playing

After they explored their own acting skills, it was my turn to join in the fun.

I acted really erratically. They thought I was hilarious because I was pretty extreme. However, I don’t think they recognize how close I was acting to some of their own behavior extremes. I was switching back and forth between some of the emotions listed above.

More Conversation About Consistency

I started explaining how sometimes they’ll be playing and then freak out but can get control of their behavior again if prodded.

Right as I was explaining this and Kenzie was laughing about the lesson, Corban reached over and grabbed something of hers. She immediately freaked out. What a great opportunity to teach the very lesson we were trying to learn.

You could almost see the light bulb go on. Going back and forth in the extremes is no way to live.

For the rest of the day and the week, I’d call them out on consistency if they were demonstrating the dramatic behaviors.