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7 Tools For Teaching Kids To Master How To Make Good Choices

How To Teach Kids To Master How To Make Good ChoicesHere are 7 tools to teach your kids to master being good choice makers – and thereby be happier. 

Back when my son Ari was 3, every Saturday was “One Thing Day.”

I’d take him to a discount toy store in the hood, and allow him to choose one thing.

Emphasis on “choose.”

I purposefully made the toy-hunting experience an opportunity to teach my son how to become a good choice maker.

You see, I’m a big believer that your child’s life is basically a sum of all the choices your child makes.

The better your child’s choice making, the more happy their life.

Of course I also recognize that a lot of what happens to us has to do with stuff we cannot control.

But, if your child is a wise decision maker, they can choose the best emotional responses.

Plus your child can then choose the best new life paths forwards and upwards.

Basically, if you want your child to be happy:

You must teach your kids to be good choice makers.

I also believe that parents can help their kids to be wiser decision makers – simply by making choices out loud along with them when they are young.

Coming up I will show you how to teach young kids to be wiser by…

  1. naturally following simple stages of decision making
  2. basing their decisions on core values
  3. thinking about long term results – instead of leaping on immediate gratification impulses

Okay – so – with all this in mind, let me explain more to you about our “One Thing Day.”

How To Teach Kids To Be Good Choice Makers

How To Teach Kids To Master How To Make Good Choices

First, Ari and I would enter the discount toy store. (Note: For the record, this was always a discount place like Marshalls or Burlington). Ari would start perusing the shelves. He’d often find something immediately that he wanted.

“I want this as my One Thing,” Ari had been known to announce within 60 seconds of toy store arrival – often pointing to a box of Legos.

“Okay, let’s consider that as your One Thing. But let’s also keep on looking,” I’d suggest. “Remember – sometimes the best choice is not the first choice. Sometimes there’s something better around the corner. Keep on looking.”

So this brings us to skillset number one of developing good choice making.

1.  Master Impulsivity & Reactivity

I believe often being overly impulsive or overly reactive is what gets us into trouble in life.

I’ve witnessed this in a variety of areas – from my once-heart-achey-love-life to my once-overly-saturated-shoe-life.

When I look back at some of my past impulse driven choices, I find myself asking: “What Was I Thinking?”

The answer? I was NOT thinking.

Instead, I was reacting without mindful thought.

I want to teach my kid to be a wise decision maker – by making sure he’s picking mindful, thoughtful choices.

Next up, my son would continue to search the shelves. A few minutes later he’d announce, “I want THIS as my One Thing!”  He’d usually point to a Spiderman related object. Or one of Spiderman’s many nemeses.

(Note: Yep – I googled it – and this is indeed how you spell the plural to nemesis!)

“Okay, let’s consider that choice too,” I’d tell Ari, “But – remember! You already have lots of Spiderman toys which sort of look like that. Maybe you want to find something new and different, yes?”

So this brings us to skillset number two of developing good choice making.

2. Master getting out of one’s comfort zone

I believe many of the choices we make are due to habit, familiarity, comfort, fear of the unknown. This can keep our lives small.

anais nin quote on courage I want to teach my son not to make the same narrow-focused choices due to an automatic default to “habit, familiarity comfort and fear of the unknown.”

Instead, I want to encourage my son to expand his horizons – live a big and thriving life – making choices which are conscious, awake, and often courageously unfamiliar!

Anais Nin was correct when she said, “One’s life shrinks or expands according to one’s courage!”

Next up, my son would poke around on some more shelves – and eventually he’d choose something fun – but dangerous for a three year old.

“Hmmm – this toy looks like a lot of fun,” I would say, “but it also looks a bit dangerous – like it could lead to an ouchie.”

So this brings us to skillset number three of developing good choice making.

3. Master recognizing cause/affect

I’m a big believer that it’s important for kids to become aware of the long term consequences of their choices.

He must learn how to recognize how a particular choice can have both good and bad long term affects. Indeed, many of life’s most fun/pleasurable choices come with potential dangers.

It’s important for my son to grow up recognizing that what might appear exciting/inviting at first glance – could also have eventual negative consequences.

I want him to be aware that every choice should not just be chosen for it’s immediate gain – but should also include a consideration of the longterm results.

After all, so many of the most tempting aspects of adult life (lusty love, yummy junk food, pretty margaritas, hot-looking motorcycles,  cool-looking tattoos, grumble-grumble cigarettes, etc… ) all have long term potential difficulties.

I want my son to start now to have a mindset which recognizes that often life’s most tempting choices come with a strong negative-consequence quotient – and so it’s key to be mindful choice-maker!

Anyhoo – often Ari wound up with 2 or 3 toys to consider as his One Thing. I would then ask my son why he liked each of the toys.

“I love Legos – because I love doing them with you mommy – as a team,” Ari would say. “And I love Spiderman because he’s powerful and a good guy. He makes me happy. And this Green Goblin toy – he’s scary and mean. Hmmm… Maybe I don’t want Green Goblin.”

“So you prefer toys which make you feel happy. And you like toys which you and I can do as a team..”

So this brings us to skillset number four of developing good choice making.

4. Master connecting feelings & reasoning

I want to teach my child to to become more aware of the feelings and reasoning which are leading to his choices.

With this in mind, I repeat back the mindful, thoughtful thinking behind my son’s choice.

I especially want my son to become aware of the negative feelings that toys with “evil characters” or “dangerous/violent guns” make him feel.

And these specific kinds of toys do make Ari feel “yucky” when he takes the time to become aware of his feelings.

“Violence makes me feel yucky,” my son Ari has even stated!

Of course I’ve repeated back these words to him – to reinforce I’ve heard him. Plus to reinforce within him how he feels. I want him to become consciously aware of his own core values. For example, how he does not like evil characters and dangerous, violent toys.

“Yes!” Ari would say. “And I also like Legos because I like being a builder. I like to build things.”

“So, you enjoy the feeling of building something – watching it become something else,” I’d repeat back.

“Yes, I do,” Ari would say, “And I like doing Legos with you! I like when we do things together. I want Legos as my One Thing!”

“Okay – sounds like you’re making a good choice for your One Thing.”

So this brings us to skillset number five of developing good choice making.

5. Master positive views on mindful choices

I love using these specific words: “You’re making a good choice.”

I want my son to become aware that he is in charge of the choices he makes – and it’s good to make thoughtful, good choices.

So this brings us to skillset number six of developing good choice making.

6. Master acknowledging bad choices

Conversely, if my child does something “bad” (aka: throwing a toy, jumping from a high step, screaming loudly in a restaurant) I will tell him how this is a “bad choice.” Or “not a safe choice.”

I want him to know he has the power to choose the right thing to do – or the wrong thing to do – as well as the power to choose a toy which is best for him.

Basically, I feel it’s much more impactful to say to my son, “That’s a bad choice” or “That’s not a safe choice” – rather than to say to him, “Stop being bad.”

I feel that when I tell my son “that’s a bad choice” or “that’s not a safe choice,” I’m giving my son the power to choose on his own the right and wiser behavior – rather than have me choose his behavior for him.

It’s very important for me to make sure that my son not get used to me dictating and commanding what he should do.

Instead, I’d rather my son develop good, mindful, thoughtful choice-making skills on his own – so he can learn to make right and wiser choices on his own.

Again, I’m a huge believer that your life is basically a sum of all the choices you make.

The better your choices, the better opportunity you will have to lead a happy life.

So this brings us to skillset number seven of developing good choice making.

7. Master this mantra:

A good tool for ensuring kids lead a happy life: Teach your kids to become choosier choice choosers!

twitter-bird-light-bgsTWEET THIS NOW:

A big secret to a happy life: become a choosier choice chooser. – Karen Salmansohn (@notsalmon ) via her blog http://bit.ly/12uqjvY

What’s something which comes to your mind and heart when you read this essay. Share your personal story or a personal happiness tool down below!

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