Making decisions is part of everyone's daily life. But making
GOOD decisions is a skill to be learned and developed. Equipping
your children with those skills will give them life-long skills
that will contribute to their contentment in life.
* Gather data. Carefully assist your child in collecting all
the data needed to make a decision. Parents do this by
employing a mixture of listening, questioning, and repeating
back to the child. Internal data are feelings, thoughts, and
goals. External data could be the parents' desires or a
friend's feelings.
* Think. Spend time analyzing the data in light of the decision
to be made. Think, with your child, about the specific
decision that needs to be made in light of all the
information. As much as possible, allow your child to take
the lead, offering guidance and assistance when necessary.
* Set boundaries. Be ready to hold your child back if his or
her choice will have harmful or detrimental results. This
provides your child with a sense of security and ease. Don't
make the police-officer role prominent in the decision-making
process. Allow the child to learn from his or her own
experience. Step in when safety or disastrous effects are
issues.
* Teach and guide. Some of your most effective work will come
after the choice has been put into action. Helping your child
understand the consequences of the decision - whether
positive or negative - is critical to learning.
* Be a cheerleader. Whenever your child makes a good attempt,
and especially if the child makes a great decision, go all
out to reinforce his or her effort.
* Example: Your child says, "What shall we give Dad for
Christmas?" Gather data: he loves to play golf, he shaves
every day, he wears a necktie every day to work, and recently
spilled ketchup on his best necktie. Boundaries: he can't
spend more than and he has one week to decide, purchase, and
wrap the gift. Think: your child chooses to buy Dad a necktie
with a naked golfer. Guide: you might want to point out that
it may not be the most appropriate design for the office. Be
a cheerleader: when your child chooses a pattern with a small
conservative golf-ball pattern, support his or her choice.
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