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Four things you can do besides tweak encounter difficulty

1. Emphasize exploration and social interactions during the first few sessions. Make combat a bit more rare (ignore the 6-8 encounters per adventure day guidance in the Basic Rules, you are playing with beginners). Some of the encounters don't need combat. Coaching/nudging non combat solutions to some of the encounters with NPCs can make for some fun play.
2. Equip each character with a free healing potion from an NPC before starting out. (That's more or less an insurance policy).
3. Roll dice only when you have to.
4. Err in favor of the players.

That's how I started my kids out about 20 years ago with Basic D&D (25th anniversary edition/big box). My wife only played a few sessions (oddly enough, also a cleric) but she also got a benefit from that approach.

Focus on "How to Play"

1. DM describes situation
2. Players tell you what they intend to do Have them tell you, {and then, if there's something on the character sheet that is a good fit, coach them to and through it}.
3. DM narrates the outcome

For tweaking the combat encounters: use the free Basic Rules (starting on Page 165) from WoTC to adjust encounters to Medium/Easy range at first.

Chapter 7 "Help" with Ability Checks

The linked rules paragraph is entitled "Working Together."
For ability checks: encourage the players to narrate a help action when one of the other two attempts an ability check. This does two things.

1. It encourages team work as a mind set,

2. it also offers advantage to an ability check which increases chances of success (roll 2d20, pick the better score)

More successes more often, especially with kids, is a good way to sustain engagement. This I've found to be a bonus even with experienced players for this edition. Get them to play as a team; the Help action rewards teamwork mechanically.

I would suggest getting a close friend or relative to play the Fighter, but you note in a comment that there isn't such a player available. If that changes, I'd still recommend it.

Option if it becomes available: "Phone a Friend"

Why? The Action economy in this edition of the game starts to get a little wonky when there are fewer PCs. When in doubt, default to one less monster/NPC, since the players as a team are getting 25% fewer actions or choices, when combat comes in the situation where there are 3 rather than 4 PCs.

Four things you can do besides tweak encounter difficulty

1. Emphasize exploration and social interactions during the first few sessions. Make combat a bit more rare (ignore the 6-8 encounters per adventure day guidance in the Basic Rules, you are playing with beginners). Some of the encounters don't need combat. Coaching/nudging non combat solutions to some of the encounters with NPCs can make for some fun play.
2. Equip each character with a free healing potion from an NPC before starting out. (That's more or less an insurance policy).
3. Call for die rolls only when you have to.
   Combat calls for quite a few die rolls, and some ability checks in the published adventure need to be rolled, like picking the locks on locked chests.
4. Err in favor of the players.

That's how I started my kids out about 20 years ago with Basic D&D (25th anniversary edition/big box). My wife only played a few sessions (oddly enough, also a cleric) but she also got a benefit from that approach.

Focus on "How to Play"

1. DM describes situation
2. Players tell you what they intend to do Have them tell you, {and then, if there's something on the character sheet that is a good fit, coach them to and through it}.
3. DM narrates the outcome

For tweaking the combat encounters: use the free Basic Rules (starting on Page 165) from WoTC to adjust encounters to Medium/Easy range at first.

Chapter 7 "Help" with Ability Checks

The linked rules paragraph is entitled "Working Together."
For ability checks: encourage the players to narrate a help action when one of the other two attempts an ability check. This does two things.

1. It encourages team work as a mind set,

2. it also offers advantage to an ability check which increases chances of success (roll 2d20, pick the better score)

More successes more often, especially with kids, is a good way to sustain engagement. This I've found to be a bonus even with experienced players for this edition. Get them to play as a team; the Help action rewards teamwork mechanically.

I would suggest getting a close friend or relative to play the Fighter, but you note in a comment that there isn't such a player available. If that changes, I'd still recommend it.

Option if it becomes available: "Phone a Friend"

Why? The Action economy in this edition of the game starts to get a little wonky when there are fewer PCs. When in doubt, default to one less monster/NPC, since the players as a team are getting 25% fewer actions or choices, when combat comes in the situation where there are 3 rather than 4 PCs.

Four things you can do besides tweak encounter difficulty

1. Emphasize exploration and social interactions during the first few sessions. Make combat a bit more rare (ignore the 6-8 encounters per adventure day guidance in the Basic Rules, you are playing with beginners). Some of the encounters don't need combat. Coaching/nudging non combat solutions to some of the encounters with NPCs can make for some fun play.
2. Equip each character with a free healing potion from an NPC before starting out. (That's more or less an insurance policy).
3. Roll dice only when you have to.
4. Err in favor of the players.

That's how I started my kids out about 20 years ago with Basic D&D (25th anniversary edition/big box). My wife only played a few sessions (oddly enough, also a cleric) but she also got a benefit from that approach.

Focus on "How to Play"

1. DM describes situation
2. Players tell you what they intend to do Have them tell you, {and then, if there's something on the character sheet that is a good fit, coach them to and through it}.
3. DM narrates the outcome

For tweaking the combat encounters: use the free Basic Rules (starting on Page 165) from WoTC to adjust encounters to Medium/Easy range at first.

Chapter 7 "Help" with Ability Checks

The linked rules paragraph is entitled "Working Together."
For ability checks: encourage the players to narrate a help action when one of the other two attempts an ability check. This does two things.

1. It encourages team work as a mind set,

2. it also offers advantage to an ability check which increases chances of success (roll 2d20, pick the better score)

. More successes early, especially with kids, is a good way to sustain engagement. This I've found to be a big bonus even with experienced players for this edition. Get them to play as a team; the Help action rewards teamwork mechanically.

I would suggest getting a close friend or relative to play the Fighter, but you note in a comment that there isn't such a player available. If that changes, I'd still recommend it.

Option if it becomes available: "Phone a Friend"

Why? The Action economy in this edition of the game starts to get a little wonky when there are fewer PCs. When in doubt, default to one less monster/NPC, since the players as a team are getting 25% fewer actions or choices, when combat comes in the situation where there are 3 rather than 4 PCs.

Four things you can do besides tweak encounter difficulty

1. Emphasize exploration and social interactions during the first few sessions. Make combat a bit more rare (ignore the 6-8 encounters per adventure day guidance in the Basic Rules, you are playing with beginners). Some of the encounters don't need combat. Coaching/nudging non combat solutions to some of the encounters with NPCs can make for some fun play.
2. Equip each character with a free healing potion from an NPC before starting out. (That's more or less an insurance policy).
3. Roll dice only when you have to.
4. Err in favor of the players.

That's how I started my kids out about 20 years ago with Basic D&D (25th anniversary edition/big box). My wife only played a few sessions (oddly enough, also a cleric) but she also got a benefit from that approach.

Focus on "How to Play"

1. DM describes situation
2. Players tell you what they intend to do Have them tell you, {and then, if there's something on the character sheet that is a good fit, coach them to and through it}.
3. DM narrates the outcome

For tweaking the combat encounters: use the free Basic Rules (starting on Page 165) from WoTC to adjust encounters to Medium/Easy range at first.

Chapter 7 "Help" with Ability Checks

The linked rules paragraph is entitled "Working Together."
For ability checks: encourage the players to narrate a help action when one of the other two attempts an ability check. This does two things.

1. It encourages team work as a mind set,

2. it also offers advantage to an ability check which increases chances of success (roll 2d20, pick the better score)

More successes more often, especially with kids, is a good way to sustain engagement. This I've found to be a bonus even with experienced players for this edition. Get them to play as a team; the Help action rewards teamwork mechanically.

I would suggest getting a close friend or relative to play the Fighter, but you note in a comment that there isn't such a player available. If that changes, I'd still recommend it.

Option if it becomes available: "Phone a Friend"

Why? The Action economy in this edition of the game starts to get a little wonky when there are fewer PCs. When in doubt, default to one less monster/NPC, since the players as a team are getting 25% fewer actions or choices, when combat comes in the situation where there are 3 rather than 4 PCs.

Four things you can do besides tweak encounter difficulty

1. Emphasize exploration and social interactions during the first few sessions. Make combat a bit more rare (ignore the 6-8 encounters per adventure day guidance in the Basic Rules, you are playing with beginners). Some of the encounters don't need combat. Coaching/nudging non combat solutions to some of the encounters with NPCs can make for some fun play.
2. Equip each character with a free healing potion from an NPC before starting out. (That's more or less an insurance policy).
3. Roll dice only when you have to.
4. Err in favor of the players.

That's how I started my kids out about 20 years ago with Basic D&D (25th anniversary edition/big box). My wife only played a few sessions (oddly enough, also a cleric) but she also got a benefit from that approach.

Focus on "How to Play"

1. DM describes situation
2. Players tell you what they intend to do Have them tell you, and then, if there's something on the character sheet that is a good fit, coach them to it.
3. DM narrates the outcome

For tweaking the combat encounters: use the free Basic Rules (starting on Page 165) from WoTC to adjust encounters to Medium/Easy range at first.

I would suggest getting a close friend or relative to play the Fighter, but you note in a comment that there isn't such a player available. If that changes, I'd still recommend it.

Why? The Action economy in this edition of the game starts to get a little wonky when there are fewer PCs. When in doubt, default to one less monster/NPC, since the players as a team are getting 25% fewer actions, choices, when combat comes when there are 3 rather than 4 PCs.

Four things you can do besides tweak encounter difficulty

1. Emphasize exploration and social interactions during the first few sessions. Make combat a bit more rare (ignore the 6-8 encounters per adventure day guidance in the Basic Rules, you are playing with beginners). Some of the encounters don't need combat. Coaching/nudging non combat solutions to some of the encounters with NPCs can make for some fun play.
2. Equip each character with a free healing potion from an NPC before starting out. (That's more or less an insurance policy).
3. Roll dice only when you have to.
4. Err in favor of the players.

That's how I started my kids out about 20 years ago with Basic D&D (25th anniversary edition/big box). My wife only played a few sessions (oddly enough, also a cleric) but she also got a benefit from that approach.

Focus on "How to Play"

1. DM describes situation
2. Players tell you what they intend to do Have them tell you, {and then, if there's something on the character sheet that is a good fit, coach them to and through it}.
3. DM narrates the outcome

For tweaking the combat encounters: use the free Basic Rules (starting on Page 165) from WoTC to adjust encounters to Medium/Easy range at first.

Chapter 7 "Help" with Ability Checks

The linked rules paragraph is entitled "Working Together."
For ability checks: encourage the players to narrate a help action when one of the other two attempts an ability check. This does two things.

1. It encourages team work as a mind set,

2. it also offers advantage to an ability check which increases chances of success (roll 2d20, pick the better score)

. More successes early, especially with kids, is a good way to sustain engagement. This I've found to be a big bonus even with experienced players for this edition. Get them to play as a team; the Help action rewards teamwork mechanically.

I would suggest getting a close friend or relative to play the Fighter, but you note in a comment that there isn't such a player available. If that changes, I'd still recommend it.

Option if it becomes available: "Phone a Friend"

Why? The Action economy in this edition of the game starts to get a little wonky when there are fewer PCs. When in doubt, default to one less monster/NPC, since the players as a team are getting 25% fewer actions or choices, when combat comes in the situation where there are 3 rather than 4 PCs.