Kid's Self Control Game
4 minute read
Introduction
At the cornerstone of appropriate behavior is self-control. We want our child to have control over what they say and what they do. We don’t want them to go careening from 0 to 60mph in their words or in their actions. We don’t want our child flipping out or melting down.
The Self-Control Game for Your Child helps children learn self-control through play. Children’s play is their work and their work is their play. To promote self-control, I created The Slow-Medium-Fast Game as a way to encourage and practice self-regulation. This article explains how you can use the Slow-Medium-Fast Game to work with your child on the concept that there are many gears between 0 and 60mph and that they can learn to control them. Children usually love this game, because most children are working on an unconscious level at self-control (aren’t we all!) and this game addresses those control issues.
The Slow, Medium, Fast Game
The Slow-Medium-Fast Game consists of two parts:
The activity itself—The Slow-Medium-Fast Game consists of encouraging your child to perform many activities that they are doing at different speeds or different levels.
Your verbal positive reinforcement of your child’s self-control—The second part of the game is your comment on your child’s self-control, self-regulation, self-modulation.
Play The Slow-Medium-Fast Game throughout the day. This game can be used in physical activities, daily tasks, talking, singing, and most things your child does during the day.
Also, moving from one activity to another can often be problematic for some children, so try the Slow-Medium-Fast Game to ease these transition times and mobilize your child to move on to the next activity. At the same time your child will be working on self-regulation.
Examples
For your younger child: “Let’s play The Slow-Medium-Fast Game. I wonder if you can take three slow snail steps to the car? Now, can you take three medium speed steps to the car? Now show me three running steps to the car. Now can you stop? Great control of your steps to the car.”
“I wonder if you can eat that cereal slowly? Now I wonder, can you eat that cereal at fast speed? Now I wonder if you can eat that cereal at a medium speed? Now can you stop eating cereal? Great control….you can really change the speed of your eating.”
“I would like to hear a whisper version of that song. Now, can you sing in a medium voice? Now can you shout that song? And now, can you sing it so loud that the neighbors can hear it? Great voice control. You are so good at modulating the level of your singing.”
“Can you ride your bike slowly? Good slow riding. Can you ride your bike at medium speed? Good medium speed. Can you now ride your bike as fast as a cheetah can run? Can you now stop suddenly? You really controlled the speed of your bike.”
“Let’s do a silly talking game. See if you can say ‘I am strong’ super slow. Now let’s hear you talk and say that in your normal voice. Good….Now let’s see if you can say that really quickly like the words are running like a rabbit----‘I am strong’ so fast that I can hardly hear it. Great speed control.”
For your older child: “I am going to say numbers from 1 to 10, 1 being the slowest and 10 being the fastest. Let’s see how you can ride your bike at 1….now 2….now 3….now back to 2….now up to 3….now up to 6….now to 5….back down to 4….now stop….Great listening and great control. You are really gearing your bike up and down.”
“Let’s do the tongue twister, ‘She sells seashells by the shelly shore.” Can you say it in slow motion, very very slowly? Can you say it at normal speed? Can you say it at fast forward….Great….now can you pause? Good silence…..can you say it in rewind mode—backward? You are really controlling the speed of your words. It’s not easy, but you are doing it.”
Additional Self-Control Games
The classic children’s games “Red Light, Green Light,” “Mother, May I?” and “Simon Says” can be played at different speeds to emphasize self-regulation. Board games can also be played at different and varying speeds, also.
Summary
The Slow-Medium-Fast Game is a Self-Control Game for Your Child to help you help your child play and learn about self-control. Enjoy the fun and enjoy the learning!