Mum, can you choose for me? Do you want your children to make their own choices? Mamahood explains why a child should make his own decisions and here the tips to help him:
Help your kid to make his own choice:
1/ Choose helps to learn yourself
Knowing how to relate to others, listening to one’s personal tastes and interests. Self-learning is a decisive step in building one’s identity
2/The process of decision
By weighing the pros and cons of every choice, your child is going to acquire a method of reflection which will allow him to decide faster and faster in the future.
3/A step toward the future
Not to make any decision is refusing to move forward. Be able to decide is choosing to make a step toward the future.
How to help your child?
The first step is to show your child how you make your choices. When you choose something, start by explaining how you made your decision: “If I choose to go to the supermarket before returning home, it will leave us less time at home to play before dinner, but we will be happy to have fresh vegetables for the meal. ”
Second step: offer him a choice between 2 options to choose his clothes for example. At first, you can offer him to decide between 2 outfits. Later, he can choose himself to match his clothes even if it is not at all to your liking. It is essential at this time that you know how to give up your perfectionism and strive to assume a choice that may not be entirely yours.
Finally, the child will learn that each decision has consequences. If he feels he has made a mistake and made a bad choice, he must be encouraged to persevere: “This choice was good because it was yours”. If he encounters a failure or difficulty related to this choice, it must be valued: “It has allowed you to realize that if you decide to leave your toys outside, it may be wet by the rain. It’s like a new brick with which you build yourself a wall of a decision. Tomorrow you’ll know even better how to decide. ”
Ready to let your kids make their own choices?