I do a lot of thinking about the power of decision making. Everyday of my life I wonder if my own choices will irreparably screw up my kids lives. From an early age I started incorporating making good choices activities for my kids. My goal was to teach them to always do the next right thing.
We do not subscribe to any religious ideologies about everything being in God’s plan. Instead, we focus on logic, empathy, and autonomy. We do believe there are good decisions and bad decisions but we acknowledge that it’s often hard to tell which is which in the moment.
Teaching children decision-making skills gives them power and control over the trajectory of their life. You are teaching them that there will always be an internal power struggle between doing what is expected and what they want to do. And ultimately you are giving them the gift of following their own path by making decisions that they can live with.
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The Foundation of Good Decision-Making
Understanding Choices
Good decisions and poor choices – these are the two paths our children encounter daily. The lessons you teach you kids will determine how they handle themselves when you are not physically present. Many parents make the mistake of teaching their kids to make good decisions in order to please them, the parent. But, avoiding a bad decision to please a parent is not the mark of good character. This is exactly why we are not religious, because forcing good behavior to please God is absolutely silly. Your child’s decision making must be rooted in internal motivation to be good, otherwise it will lead to them making the wrong choice when nobody is around.
The Crucial Role of Family in Decision Making
In our family dynamics, each member plays a pivotal role. As parents and guardians, guiding children towards better choices is a responsibility that bears significant weight. You are instructing and leading by example. By integrating concepts like social emotional learning and keeping an open mind into our daily interactions, we can effectively model how to make wise choices.
Combining Love with Logic
Blending love with logic in decision making is a delicate yet powerful approach. You are balancing acknowledging your children’s emotions and thoughts while guiding them towards logical outcomes. This balance helps in developing their ability to evaluate different situations and make responsible decisions across many scenarios. By doing so, we not only address their immediate needs but also equip them with skills for their school day and beyond.
A Family’s Journey Towards Better Choices
Transitioning towards making good choices activities for kids is a journey that requires patience and understanding. Your goal is to create an environment where positive behavior choices are recognized and celebrated. Keeping the lines of communication open and candid is hard work. Aim to be the parent who they come to when they are having a hard time or need advice.
Further Reading: 19 Ways to Connect as a Family on a Weeknight
Building a Legacy of Wise Decisions
Instilling the art of making good choices in our children is beneficial for the present and a legacy we leave for their future. By logical principles in our family dynamics, we pave the way for our children to grow into well-rounded individuals, capable of making wise choices in all aspects of life.
7 Making Good Choices Activities For Kids
1. Board Games for Young Minds
Introduce young children to simple board games such as Monopoly. These games are not just a great way to have fun but also a practical method to teach decision making. Children learn to evaluate options and understand the consequences of their choices, fostering good character traits. Explain in real time why you are doing or not doing certain actions so that they can start to understand cause and effect.
2. Storytelling with a Twist
For elementary students, storytelling is a powerful tool. Create stories together where your child faces different choices, teaching them to discern between good decisions and poor choices. This interactive way of learning boosts their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Start incorporating stories of your own good and bad choices early in an attempt to prevent them from making those same mistakes.
3. Role-Playing Family Scenarios
Engage your family in role-playing. Set up situations where each member must make a decision. This can range from everyday choices like selecting a meal to more complex scenarios. It’s a great game that enhances social emotional learning and positive behavior choices. Anticipating future behavior is inherently difficult to do, however this kind of role playing does help kids create a framework for problem solving.
4. Creative Art Projects
Encourage your children to undertake creative projects like a glue puzzle activity. Such activities require planning and decision-making, essential in developing good choices activities for kids. It’s also a fun game that sparks their imagination and social skills. Tactile learners will thrive when your marking good choices activities involve physical activity.
5. Planning Family Outings Together
Involve your children in planning family outings. This simple way allows them to make small decisions in a real-time setting, teaching them the importance of considering various factors before making a best choice. Letting children ‘suffer’ consequences of their own choices at an early age is one of the simple ways for you to build credibility as a trusted authority on making the right choice.
6. Planning a Yes Day
Give your kids an opportunity to flex their decision making by planning a whole day for the family. Give them perimeters like the distance, budget, and safety obligations, but be willing to say yes to everything.
7. Everyday Decision Making
Incorporate decision making in daily routines. Let your child decide on small things like their outfit for the day or which fruit to eat. This practice reinforces the concept of good vs. bad decisions on a daily basis. You will get a better look at how your child evaluates situations and makes choices. After a yes day you will have a good idea of more skills you can teach them for better decision making.
Making Good Choices Mini Lessons
Incorporating these activities at home is the perfect way to teach your children about making good choices. One day your kids will be all grown up and you can feel confident that they have the framework necessary to make wise decisions.
Beyond Games
While games and structured activities are great, real-life situations provide the best lessons in decision making. Parents and educators can turn everyday moments into opportunities for children to practice making good choices. For instance, letting a child decide what to wear or what to pack for lunch teaches them about responsibility and the consequences of their choices.
Tips for Encouraging Daily Decision Making
Offer Limited Choices
Give children a sense of control by offering them limited options. For example, ask whether they’d prefer apples or bananas for a snack. This method helps young children and elementary students make decisions without feeling overwhelmed.
Encourage Independent Thinking
Ask open-ended questions like, “What do you think we should do about this?” It promotes critical thinking and allows children to explore different solutions, enhancing their problem-solving abilities.
Discuss Outcomes of Decisions
Whether a decision leads to a positive or negative outcome, discuss it with your child. This conversation can help them understand the impact of their choices, allowing them to make better decisions in the future.
Set Enforceable Boundaries
Establish clear, enforceable rules and consequences. This structure helps children understand the limits within which they can make choices, guiding them towards responsible decision-making, and reinforcing classroom teachers’ efforts. Society is filled with rules we are obligated to follow so give them lots of practice to understand hard limits.
Real-Life Scenario Examples
Empowering Through Small Choices
Start by integrating small decisions into your child’s daily routine. Allow them to choose their outfit or pick their lunchbox snacks. These choices, while minor, are a simple way to instill confidence and independence, leading to better choices as they grow.
Choosing a Play Activity
Let children decide how they want to spend their playtime. Whether it’s reading a book, drawing, or playing outside, each choice offers different learning opportunities and encourages students to explore their own desires. Games that require strategy or choice-making, like certain board games or role-playing scenarios, offer a fun game atmosphere while subtly teaching valuable life skills.
Managing Small Disputes
Guide children to resolve small arguments with siblings or friends on their own. This teaches them conflict resolution and the importance of considering others’ feelings, enhancing their puzzle pieces of social skills.
Participating in Household Tasks
Involve children in simple household decisions, like planning a meal or organizing a room. It’s a great way to teach them about teamwork and the value of contributing to the family. Assign age-appropriate chores to your kids. Whether it’s organizing their room or helping with the dishes, chores are a great game to teach responsibility, time management, and prioritizing – essential components of good decision making.
Dinner Table Decision-Making
Make mealtime a learning opportunity. Encourage children to suggest menus or help with grocery shopping. This interactive way of participating in family chores is about good vs. bad decisions as well as understanding responsibility and consequences in a real-time setting.
Encouraging Financial Wisdom
Involve your children in basic financial decisions. Simple activities like budgeting for a family outing or saving for a desired toy can be a perfect way to teach them about wise choices and the value of money.
You may want to read and learn Fostering Financial Freedom with 14 Business Ideas for Kids
By integrating these practices into everyday life, children learn to navigate the world with confidence and understanding, preparing them for life outside of your family home.
Cultivating a Legacy of Logical Decision-Making in Families
Positive Behavior Recognition
Acknowledge and praise positive behavior choices. Whether it’s a good decision they made or a bad choice they learned from, recognizing their efforts reinforces the importance of making responsible decisions in everyday life.
Parental Role Modeling
As parents, model good decision-making. Children learn by watching adults. When faced with decisions, verbalize your thought process. Show them how to weigh options and consider outcomes, which is a good way to demonstrate positive behaviors in action.
Building a Decision-Making Culture at Home
Integrating decision-making into daily family life means guiding children towards making the best choice and creating a culture where every choice is seen as an opportunity to learn and grow. This approach is instrumental in nurturing a family environment rich in social emotional learning and positive behavior management.
Ripple Effect of Everyday Choices
Encouraging an environment where making good choices activities for kids is a daily practice, sets the stage for a lifetime of wise decisions. Each small choice made within the family circle contributes significantly to developing a child’s ability to think critically and act responsibly.
A Family’s Collective Journey
Instilling logic and love in family dynamics isn’t a solo journey. It’s a collective effort where each family member learns, grows, and evolves. By prioritizing activities that encourage good decisions and recognizing both good choices and bad choices, we create a nurturing space for our children.
Enduring Impact of Positive Choices
The impact of these practices goes beyond the family setting. Children equipped with the skills to make better choices become adults who contribute positively to society. They carry the lessons learned from positive behavior choices, problem-solving, and social emotional learning into every aspect of their lives.
Encouraging Continuous Growth and Learning
Commit to continuously seeking new ways to integrate these valuable life lessons into your family routines. You can remove the shame and stigma of bad decisions by teaching the power of choice early on.
A Legacy of Wise Choices
By focusing on making good choices activities for kids, we do teach and we leave a legacy. A legacy where logic, love, and wise decision-making are interwoven into their thought processes.
One of my favorite quotes is, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right” – Henry Ford
Your child gets to determine the outcome of their own life. They can spin it positive or they can let is spiral downward. Teaching them how to make good decisions will have more impact than any lesson they will ever learn in school. I wish you and your family all the best as you prioritize teaching your kids about making good choices.
