Activity Name: What About Me?
Time Required: 5 – 10 Minutes
Ages: All ages
Introduction: This is a simple object lesson to be done with the family which will also provide time to have a dessert together. By creating a situation where one or more of your kids feel something is unfair, you will be able to use that moment to create discussion about Street Resilience and teach how to use street resilience in a positive way. Many times we make statements like ‘sometimes life isn’t fair’ or ‘you’ll have to deal with it’; but we want to go further by talking to them about how street resilience applies and how they can take control of the situation through action rather than self-pity or complaining.
What you need:
- Any dessert to share with the family
Instructions: You look for an opportunity when your family is together either directly after a meal, watching a television show or sitting around in a room together. You will have a dessert ready for every member in the family (perhaps a cake, ice cream, pudding, fruit, anything really will work). At a strategic moment, you will bring in enough desserts for some of the family but not all. Perhaps you will leave one child out or all of your children and only bring in the dessert for you and your spouse. You are trying to create the scenario where someone will say, “What about me?” Your response should be along the lines of “I didn’t bring you one?” This should lead to a statement of “That’s not fair.” or “Well can I have one?” which then you’ll respond by saying, “Well you will have to serve yourself.” While it is impossible to predict how every child will respond in that situation, regardless you can use that response as the object lesson and then start the Discuss Phase. You created the situation to help your children understand street resilience more and how to respond in a positive way.
Discuss:
- How did you feel when I didn’t bring you a dessert like everyone else?
- How did you respond?
- What are some things you can do in this situation?
- What other times have you felt that life is unfair?
- Street resilience is when we feel wronged in some way, but we don’t let that destroy our opportunities. We use those feelings to energize us to do something about it. What are some positive ways we can react and what are negative ways we can react?
- Why will positive ways lead to a better outcome?
- Is there anything unfair in your life right now? How could you use street resilience to respond in a positive way?