How to leverage superhero obsession for preschool life skills?

December 5, 2019 6:25 AM

My 4 year-old is obsessed with superheroes. It's largely my fault. However, one positive benefit is that, after years of toothpaste-swallowing, he was finally convinced to spit his toothpaste out when I compared it to Superman's super-cold breath. What other life skills could I teach my child by analogizing them to superhero abilities?

Spiderman is a particular favorite of my kiddo, but really anybody from the Marvel/DC stable would do.

posted by HeroZero to Education (11 answers total)

Best answer: Superman is also excellent at changing clothes by himself.
posted by TrixieRamble at 6:38 AM on December 5, 2019 [23 favorites]

“The Flash can pick up all these toys in 20 seconds. Are you as fast as him?”
posted by galvanized unicorn at 6:45 AM on December 5, 2019 [12 favorites]

We often invoke The Flash when we need a task completed quickly.
posted by roadrunner9 at 6:45 AM on December 5, 2019 [1 favorite]

• The Hulk has to control his emotions or he could hurt people he cares about.

• Spider-Man was able to build his web-swingers because he studied really hard in school and learned a lot about science and math.
posted by yankeefog at 6:45 AM on December 5, 2019 [9 favorites]

Dr. Strange does much of his best work by sitting quietly and closing his eyes and thinking.
posted by sheldman at 6:48 AM on December 5, 2019 [13 favorites]

Wonder Woman's "Lasso of Truth" as a way of discouraging lying.
posted by AzraelBrown at 6:54 AM on December 5, 2019 [2 favorites]

Spider-Man understands that with great power (e.g. ever-increasing size/strength/cleverness) comes great responsibility.
posted by teremala at 7:40 AM on December 5, 2019 [1 favorite]

Batman and Wonder Woman are both great a tying knots, and they probably practiced a lot, so every time you tie your shoelaces you are practicing like Batman.
posted by DSime at 8:03 AM on December 5, 2019 [1 favorite]

I read a tweet by a father thanking Luke Skywalker because the guy’s little boy could be assured, among other things, that Luke Skywalker always wipes his behind, and that he should therefore do the same.
posted by Countess Elena at 8:55 AM on December 5, 2019 [4 favorites]

Best answer: Spiderman's spidey-sense means he's always paying very close attention to what's going on around him -- he'd never cross a street without looking, for example!
posted by Sometimes you need a little space at 9:55 AM on December 5, 2019

We do this a lot. You can connect anything to superhero virtues.

Before Spiderman can defeat the bad guys, he has to defeat the sugar bug villains that are making holes in his teeth!

If Spiderman doesn't finish breakfast, he won't have enough energy to fight crime!

Spiderman always helps people in need, and I need help emptying the dishwasher right now!

Spiderman likes to do good. Does he leave his dirty underwear on the floor?

We need to do a superhero mission to do clean up this room even though the bad guys are trying to defeat us by making this mess! Are we going to let them defeat us?

You name a scenario, you can turn it into a job for a superhero. Did you know that superheroes are never defeated by laundry? Or finding library books? Or finishing homework? Or needing a bath? Or...?

Also, the spiderpeople in my house are always careful to rescue spiders trapped in the bathtub.
posted by medusa at 8:48 PM on December 5, 2019 [3 favorites]