10 Ways to Teach Your Children to Make Wise Decisions

At the end of every night, we have our kids clean up their rooms. If there were a competition for the slowest cleaner, my daughter would be the champion of the world. That coupled with her ability to play with all of her toys and leave them out in a single day is a recipe for disaster. In the past, there were nights she didn’t get her room clean. I told her the wise decision would be for her to put her toys away when she was done playing so she wasn’t left with an overwhelming mess. She didn’t do it, and we continued having the same problem. Finally, I started putting a timer in her room and told her that whatever was not put away when the timer went off, she would lose for a day.

For several days, nothing changed. Then, one night, she went upstairs to clean and came down two minutes later. I was surprised to see her so quickly—and then she explained that during the day she put her toys away when she was done playing with them rather than waiting. I told her it was a wise decision. Teaching kids to make wise decisions can be difficult, but it can be done with the right techniques. Here are 10 ways to teach your kids to make wise decisions.

1. Let them make mistakes.

As parents, our instinct is to shield our kids from all potential pitfalls. But carefully letting your kids learn a hard lesson from their own mistakes and then talking to them about it after the fact will give them great insight.

2. Expose them to the real world.

Our instinct is to hide the ugly world from our children. Yet, there is no better teacher than a helpful dose of reality. For instance, maybe you caught your child vaping. Share stories and pictures of those who have ruined their lungs. This is far more powerful in their mind than sitting in their room mad at you because they’re grounded. You still might ground them, of course, but with the real-life example of why you must do so.

3. Teach them to know themselves.

One of the greatest keys to wisdom is knowing yourself. Children who can distinguish their strengths and weaknesses are likely to make better decisions. American Idol was a good example of this. We constantly saw young people who believed they were great singers when the reality was so clear. Children should be encouraged to try many things but be able to realize they may not be wired to do certain things.

4. Learn their interests.

Maybe they are into football, music, art, cooking… Whatever it is, find out or help your child find his or her interests. Then provide real-life examples of successful people who share their same likes. This teaches that hard work and dedication are the keys to success and those traits lend very well to decision making.

5. Talk to them.

Being able to speak openly with your kids is the goal, but it can be difficult. The second kids sense a lecture, we’ve lost them. If you can find common areas and illicit real discussion from your child, you will gain invaluable insight. This, in turn, gives you the ability to know what decision he is going to make before he even makes it. If it’s not going to be the correct one, then you can give guidance.

6. Get involved.

Whether it’s church youth groups, Scouts, coaching their teams, or other organizations, having your child get involved will help her development and grow her character. It also exposes her to positive peer pressure. One of the best ways for you to get involved in your child’s life is to be a presence at his or her school. Look into joining or starting an All Pro Dad chapter.

7. Teach them about money.

One of the greatest gifts you can give your kids is to teach them how to handle money properly. If you can teach your child to handle money in a responsible manner, most likely that will follow through into the other parts of his life. A proverb says, “Of what use is money in the hand of a fool, since he has no desire to get wisdom?”

8. Pile on the praise.

Too often, parents focus on the things children might need work on. We want to fix their struggles. Yet, we might forget to praise when they get it right. By praising our children when they do right things, it helps reinforce the desire to make decisions to have similar outcomes.

9. Teach them to keep good company.

As important as we like to think we are to our kids, their world revolves around their circle of friends. One guaranteed way to know what direction your child is headed is to get to know his friends. “Show me your friends, and I’ll show you your future.” -Dan Pena, American businessman

10. Lead by example.

If you do not follow these principles, then how do you expect your child to want to? If need be, use your own faults as an example of how not to be and promise to do better. Humbling yourself in front of your child and admitting your weakness will actually make him feel closer to you. Where you do have strengths in decision-making skills, teach your kids.

Sound off: What else will help kids makes wise decisions?

Source: All Pro Dad here

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