Give your preschooler plenty of practice making decisions PDF Print E-mail
Success in school (and life) hinges on the ability to make good decisions. Your child's decision on whether to pay attention to the teacher or look out the window, whether or not to observe classroom rules, whether or not to do homework--all these can seriously affect his schooling and future.

Here are some ways to get your child started on the path of good decision-making:

  • Offer choices. Ask your child if he would like cereal or toast for breakfast. Just make sure you find both choices acceptable.
  • Make plans. Example: Your child will have a friend over tomorrow afternoon. What could they do together? Encourage your child to come up with suggestions. Write them down.
  • Ask for your child's advice. Your child will feel empowered and competent if, once in a while, he gets to pick for you. Example: Let your child listen to music from two different radio stations. Ask him which one he thinks you should listen to and then listen to the one he selects.
  • Explain. No one makes the right decision every time. In your child's case, making good choices may take a lot of practice. And sometimes you will have to overrule his decisions.
    When you do, take time to explain why. Especially focus on the consequences of his choice. "I know you'd like to watch that movie, but I've seen it, and it's scary. I think it would upset you a lot right now. When you're older, we can think about it and talk again."

Reprinted with permission from the September 2009 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Early Childhood Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2009 The Parent Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: Jolene L. Roehlkepartain and Nancy Leffert, Ph.D., What Young Children Need to Succeed: Working Together to Build Assets from Birth to Age 11, ISBN: 1-57542-070-8 (Free Spirit Publishing, www.freespirit.com).