Nobody is born with the ability to make wise decisions and good judgement. When faced with difficult choices, one has to reflect on experiences to make the best decisions. A child’s ability to distinguish right from wrong and make sound judgements will increase as he or she matures.
Our goal is to raise children who feel good about themselves and practice making good decisions. As parents, we can help our children to develop critical thinking skills and a positive attitude. Here is how –
Strong family values
Your actions and moral values are often your child’s reference point in their own decision-making. So make sure you are clear on what qualities and skills you want your child to have. Children adopt behaviour and mannerisms from family members, so make it work in your favour by modelling well-thought-out decisions.
Establish span of control
In order to have the experience of deciding between choices, children need to have adequate freedom. Be clear on what areas they have the right to make decisions and where you need to exert your parental control. For instance, “you can wear your Spiderman outfit at home if you like, but you need to change before we go out.”
Making bad decisions is okay
We cannot have a manual of good judgement and expect our children to follow it. Sometimes they stumble and make bad choices. Resist the urge to say, “I told you so!” and allow them the time to reflect on how things could have been different. We grow through our mistakes and so do our children.
Age-appropriate decision-making power
Freedom and responsibility together form the basis for good judgement. Give your children the accountability to make choices for the tasks they can handle and slowly increase the degree as they master the level comfortably. For example, a toddler can be asked to decide which toys he would like to share with his friends. A school-age child can decide what to do with his time after his homework is completed. A teenager can be encouraged to budget his own spending.
Stress on reflection
Encourage your children to reflect on every experience that they have, whether good or bad. When they bring home the report card, ask them why they scored less in certain subjects. Discuss with them how the problem can be rectified and what needs to be done to ensure that it is not repeated. Talking about what needs to be done differently and formulating a plan to make the problem less likely to happen again will help them develop their critical thinking skills.
Support them in making judgements
Your child needs to be confident while making serious decisions. Giving in to peer pressure and impulses can lead to making choices that they end up regretting. Therefore it is important for you to openly express your support and encouragement in guiding them through the right path. Winmore Academy, one of the best CBSE schools in Bangalore, assists the students in making sound judgements and provides a positive atmosphere for growth.