A big part of
learning to be responsible involves learning to make good choices. And that
takes practice. You can help your child learn about responsible decision-making
by presenting him with plenty of opportunities to practice making acceptable
choices. Even the youngest child can decide which shirt to wear, or whether he
wants tomato or chicken soup for lunch, for example. Older children can decide
which sport or other after-school activity they want to take part in, or
whether they will do their homework before or after dinner. It’s also important
to help children understand that the choices they make—both good choices and
bad choices—have consequences. Talk with your child about how all choices have
consequences. For example:
• I chose to wait until the last minute to do my research
project. The result was that I did a poor job and got a low grade.
• I chose to review
my vocabulary words for fifteen minutes a day this week. The result was that I
got an A on my vocabulary quiz.
Use examples from your life in the discussion, too. For
example, “I chose to sleep in today. The result was that I arrived to work late
and felt rushed all morning.” Or, “I chose to pay my credit card bill on time.
The result was that I didn’t have to pay an additional interest charge.”
This kind of
discussion can help your child understand that all of us make choices every
day, and that we must accept responsibility for the choices we make.
From the Parent Institute
