By: Fadheela Hammad
People need to make decisions continuously, and in different life situations, which usually manifests in our behaviors, words we use, and the work we do. These decisions might be right, and might be wrong, and what helps in the decision making is the thinking process, which helps in making better decisions, and having positive consequences, while poor thinking process can result in negative consequences.
The process of decision-making and thinking about the different aspects and consequences that may result, is an important skill that can be developed like any other skill, and particularly in children who need this important skill even though it looks that the decisions they make is less important than that of adults. When the children get trained on making decisions in their childhood, their ability to make better decision evolves, and develops as they grow up. Children face difficulties and challenges even when playing, through which they make different decisions, but they may not realize that these small things are also decisions that have consequences affecting them and their relationships with others
The development of the skill of thinking before making a decision in children help in building their personality and self-esteem, and reduce their exposure to problems and surprises, even when they do not have their parents with them to guide them, and they have more chances to succeed, avoid mistakes, and disappointments. Parents can train their children through daily life situations.
When parents make decisions with regard to their family, or children, and these decisions are easy for children to grasp, they can explain to their children the bases on which they made their decisions, in a way the children can understand.
On the other hand, they can make different situations, where children can make their own decisions, provided these decisions will not have negative consequences on themselves or others. For example, parents can help their child in having two or three acceptable choices for spending his spare time, studying type, or what he wears. These choices need to be acceptable by his parents, so that when the child chooses any one of these choices, it will not affect him or his family negatively, and parents can ask their child in choosing, by discovering the different consequences of each choice, and leave their child to choose.
These ways can train children practically on decision making, and on creating a communication channel between parents and their children, that can strengthen their relationship and respect to each other.
