When is the best time to teach our kids to make good decisions?
Recently while visiting my brother in Palo Alto, we ran into friends at the local farmers market. I had a short chat with a Stanford professor that centered around a pivotal childhood development question: When is the best time to teach our kids to make good decisions? This question led me to a significant insight about the interplay of habits and skills in decision-making, and the crucial role we play as parents.
Here’s the heart of it: For young children, good decision-making starts with habit formation. These habits are nurtured organically through our daily interactions and behaviors. Maybe they practice making decisions with simple choices like what to wear, which toy to buy with gift money, or how to resolve conflict with a sibling. As they grow, our role shifts to skill building, especially for older children, guiding them in more complex decision-making scenarios as they gain independence.
Unlock Confident Parenting: Decision Mastery
But whether we’re instilling habits in young ones or honing skills in older children, the key lies in our example. Children learn habits and skills from us – they watch how we approach problems, weigh options, and make choices. We must be proficient in what we’re teaching, embodying the decision-making process we want them to learn.
This understanding brings an urgency and responsibility to our role as parents. Every day, in every decision, we’re laying the groundwork for our children’s future decision-making prowess. Let’s start now, regardless of our children’s ages, by integrating thoughtful decision-making into our family culture.
If you’re looking to parent your kids into becoming excellent decision makers, join me in our “Unlock Confident Parenting: Decision Mastery” course, starting February 12th. It’s an 8-week, 90-minute per session journey that promises to enhance your parenting and build decision competence in your kids!
Hope to see you there!
Warm regards,
