How to Teach a Kid to Stand Up for Themselves: Practice It Twice (Our First Kids Podcast)

This is the Dearing Acting Studio Podcast, where we discuss the connection between life and acting. Okay, welcome everybody to the very first edition of the Dearing Acting Studio Podcast, Kids Edition. So, this podcast is for kids. We want to help kids using acting to better their lives. And today, my name is Matthew Dearing. Today, we are starting off this podcast with my very own children, Jack Dearing and Rosalyn Dearing.

Can you say hello? Hi. Hi, everyone. Thank you. Very nice. Thank you. All right. So, and also, of course, as always, we've got our studio producer, Mr. Joey Sweeney. Hi, everyone. Very, very happy to be rolling this out. This is a really exciting time for your dad to have a podcast with his kids. I got to tell you guys, I've been looking forward to this for a really long time.

Yeah, it's pretty cool to have them here in the studio and just getting to be a part of our creative outlet for sure. And you know, I got to tell you, Jack and Rosalyn, you've been doing, you've been so helpful recently at the studio. You've been doing things like, even today, Jack was actually, he took the bug spray and he sprayed the whole studio. Like you. I did a little bit too.

And Rosalyn did a little bit too. So you guys, you are like contributing around here and I really, really appreciate that. And I need to tell you guys something. What's that, Rosalyn? A little secret. Okay. Well, one time I watched Sofia and I didn't turn off the episode once mom asked me to. But, but I, but, but I didn't think that she would figure it out and I knew it was a wrong thing to do.

So you made like a, like a, almost like a sneaky choice where you were thinking like, oh, maybe I could just get away with this even though I know I shouldn't. Um, yeah, but then after that I fought and I didn't have another chance. Sneaking is really important. Except for daddy, I didn't agree with that. He, he said that I could have another chance. Yeah, yeah. So basically my, my thought is kids, when you know for sure something is wrong, you know a hundred percent that it's wrong and you do it anyway, then you need to have a consequence.

It's important to have a consequence, right? But we hadn't already decided what the consequence was. Because if you have a consequence, then that helps you remember that, that you can't do this again. That's right. That's right. So we've decided there's going to be a very specific consequence, but since we hadn't already established that, this was our chance to let us know what we needed to do for next time.

And the next time I do it, then I'll get a punishment. Well, that was a really cool story, Rosalyn. And that's, see, that's a good way to help other kids. And that's the whole point of this podcast is we, we call it bringing darkness to the light here at the studio. And darkness is not so bad. Darkness is just like, oh, I made a bad decision. And the light is, you know what, let's just talk the good side of this decision and we'll get the dark to the light.

So even when you've done something wrong, it's good to be honest. That's the big thing. Jack, we haven't heard from you yet today. Do you have, do you have anything that you think might, like a story from your life that maybe you think could help the kids that are out there listening? Yes, I have one. We'd love to hear it. One time I traded in a toy when I didn't really want to.

I really didn't really want to. I'm sorry, what do you mean you traded that in? I have a little club that I go to and we trade toys sometimes, so. Oh, and you traded one that you didn't really want to trade? Yeah. Why'd you do that? I don't know. He was older than me and he was the boss of the club and I was, it was probably fear.

I, I just got scared and I traded. I got it. So basically you, you kind of let somebody talk you into doing something you didn't want to do? Yeah. That's interesting. Is that something that you've, um, experienced a few times where someone has talked you into doing something you didn't want to do? I have that feeling. Um, when you, um, give away something that, that, that you don't want to give away and, and someone's a boss of something, then it feels, then you feel scared to not give it to them.

Yeah, that's a good point. So, so this was interesting, Jack. So you were scared, you gave it up. How'd you feel afterward? I felt, uh, bad. I didn't want to, uh, do it. But then, okay. So then afterward, but you already gave it up, right? So it's gone. So did you just feel sad or? Yeah, I felt sad. Okay, so then, um, what have you done since then?

I mean, is this something that you've, you've learned how to get better at or? Oh, yeah, I've. So what's your recommendation for kids out there? If one of them feels like they're, they're getting in a position where they get talked into doing something. I still need to get better with how I handle it. Well, do you, should we work on it right now? Should we do like a practice run?

All right, cool. Let's do this. All right. Uh, Joey, you want to do a little, uh, a little something with me here? A little improvisation? Sure. All right, so here's what, we're going to do an improv. Listen up. So we're going to do an improv. So you two, you decide what, what our characters are. Okay, so I'll be the, I'll be the kid and Joey will be the, the older kid, the one that's trying to talk me into something.

All right, so Joey, you're going to be the character that's trying to talk me into sneaking out. Okay. Uh, what's Joey's character's name going to be? What's the kid's name? John. John. Okay, you're John. Okay. All right. And what's my name? Sam. I don't know. Sam. Okay, good. So I'll be Sam, you be John. Okay. All right. Sam and John. And I'm going to be the kid that's a little scared.

Okay. Okay. And we're going to do it twice. We'll do it the first time where you, you talk me into it. And then the second time where I'm going to try to stand up for myself. Gotcha. All right. Cool. Oh, hey, man. Well, it was a pretty hard, pretty hard test we had. Yeah, I mean, I just, I mean, I just, like you said, it's a hard test.

We shouldn't even have to take a test. I mean, we're only in second grade, so. Well, I mean, yeah, I just think kind of also that tests are, if you don't take them, then you wouldn't know how you're doing, too. Oh, sure, sure. I mean, if you like tests, just say you like tests. I mean, I don't, no, I don't like tests. Oh, okay, cool. Well, listen, like me and a couple other kids are just going to go to the playground for this next, like, ten minutes of class.

You want to come? Oh, I would just, I just went to the bathroom. I'm supposed to go back into class. I don't. Well, yeah, I mean, if you want to go back in because you like tests, that's, that's cool. No, I didn't, it's not that I like tests. I just, I mean, you were supposed to go back in. If we go to the playground, we probably, we might get in trouble, like, so.

I mean, I don't think we'll get in trouble, and even if we do, it's not a big deal. It's not a big deal? No, it was just a silly little test. They'll just say, don't do it again. Okay, okay, let's go. Okay. All right. All right, he talked me into sneaking out. That wasn't good, right? Yeah, that wasn't good. I know something about that. What do you know, Raza?

Well, if, um, just like another time, one time, um, me and a friend tried to sneak, to, to, to sneak, um, um, um, a friend tried to sneak into the road and tried to get in my car. So me and a friend could have a sleepover. That was a really bad idea. But, um, um, um, and I ended up telling a lie. Is, is, is what we're, I'm talking, I'm talking about a different thing.

I'm talking about lies. So if, if, if, if, if, if you tell a lie, then it's just like your parents can't trust you to do something anymore. Yeah, that's true. That's a good point. So, so maybe you're getting, oh, sorry, go ahead, go ahead, Jack. Uh, one time I had a situation like that, though. Let me hear about it. So one time my, a friend of mine was going to sneak out and he told me it was okay and.

And what'd you, and you, and you, you did it? No, I didn't. So you, you learned to stand up for yourself then. I said you can, but he just, he just didn't do it. He didn't want to because it wasn't cool anymore because you weren't going to do it. Yeah. Wow, that's so cool. So your good choice led to a good choice for him too. Mm-hmm. Let's see if that kind of same situation would work for our friends, John and Sam.

Let's try this again. Oh, hey, John. Nice hat. Thanks. Well, that class was hard, huh? Yeah, yeah, I really don't like that class at all. Yeah. I think it's kind of dumb. Well, you know what? I kind of like it, but I, I like learning, so. Oh, makes sense. Yeah. All right, well, I'm going to get back to class, I think, so. Well, me and some other kids are going to go out for the last five minutes and hang out by the playground if you want to come.

You mean during class? I mean, yeah, but class, I mean, we're already outside of class, so there's no reason to go back for the last five minutes. Well, no, there is. I mean, we're supposed to go back, so we're supposed to listen. And you know what else? I mean, here's the thing. The reason that they would not want us to be out there is there's no, there's no grown-up out there to watch us, so really, we would be in danger.

Like, somebody could come at any time. Like, I don't think it's a good idea. Like, you guys can go out there if you want, I guess, but I, I don't recommend it. I'm going to go back to class. Okay, Sam. I hope I see you in there. Sure. Maybe we could study afterward. I could help you with that class. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll, uh, I'll come with you.

Really? Yeah. Let's go, bro. Hey, it worked out better that time, right? Yep. And I have a suggestion about that. What's your suggestion about that? Um, well, if, if, if you don't listen to somebody, then you get in less trouble. Like, I, I mean, you don't get in any trouble if you don't do something wrong. That's right. But, but, but if Joey have, but, but if you have gone out there, then you would have gone in trouble.

That's right. That's right. So we learned our lesson. And plus, what if a stranger came? That's right. And that's what, that's what the Sam character mentioned. So that's always good. So listen up, everybody, all the kids that are listening. Here's what we want you to hear. When you are faced with a decision, you can feel that something inside you. We call that spirit around here. And when you can feel the spirit tell you that you should do the right thing, then you do it.

And when it feels icky inside your tummy, then you know, it's not the right thing. And that is our big, huge, first Dearing Acting Studio Kids Podcast. Thank you, everyone. Thank you so much for listening, everybody. We will see you next episode on the Dearing Acting Studio Kids Podcast. Great. Nice to meet you. Bye. Bye.