Note to parent or teacher: Here’s a 20-minute lesson plan on moderation. It highlights the following lesson objective: “Compare and contrast the benefits of moderation in allowing oneself time to gain skills, develop positive relations with others, and live a balanced life, versus overindulgence in entertainment or other interests that robs one’s entire focus.” (Character Building: Personal Responsibility: Moderation-2b)

The general target age for this lesson plan is 8 through 12. You can, however, adapt, simplify, or expound on this lesson plan to better suit your child’s comprehension level.

Read “The Everly Extreme or Moderate Marcellus Quiz.”

Take a shoe box (or a box of any size) and fill it to the brim with toys, clothes, or something. See how much you can fit into the box. Talk about how one’s life can only fit so much, which is why it’s important to be judicious about what is allowed into one’s life.

Brainstorm the benefits of living a well-balanced life, and make a list of the points you come up with.

Look up the dictionary definition for the word “moderation,” and check out the thesaurus for synonyms.

Read Ecclesiastes 3:1–8.

Discuss with your child whether there are areas of your family’s life that could use moderation in order to make time for other things that you as a family would like to do. (Emphasize that practicing moderation is not about shunning things that are fun—it enables us to have a wide range of healthy, uplifting, and beneficial experiences.)

Discuss how self-control is what enables us to practice moderation in our lives. Talk about times when it’s difficult to stop something that may be quite fun at the moment, and brainstorm ways that will help the child determine when to stop. It could be agreed-upon guidelines before an activity is begun (such as a designated amount of time for computer games), etc.

Look up 1 Corinthians 10:13 and 1 Corinthians 2:9. Talk about how God is the one who can give us the strength and wisdom to live a well-balanced life. 

Memorize “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV)