Make A Choice Make A Difference
As children, our choices are made for us, good or bad. Watching others influences how we make our own decisions. As we age we learn certain behaviors illicit certain results. We learn to manipulate others with our behaviors to fulfill a need, obtain a desired object or simply to have things our way.
As Adolescents we are expected to set a higher standard and make better choices. But if we enter this stage never having been taught how the decision making process works, can we make good choices, will we be able to think past the desired outcome and look at the consequences of our decisions.
Entering adolescents armed with the basic knowledge of decision making gives the adolescent a base to work from. They will have the skills to think a situation through, see both positive and negative outcomes and make a decision based on this, not just emotion. The ability to make good choices at the stage can be the difference in life and death in certain situations.
As adults we are expected to make decisions daily that affect out lives, our children, and our families. If we have not learned the process of good decision making, if we are unable to think through to possible outcomes we will consistently make the same decisions hoping for a different outcome, with no understanding of why the outcome remains the same.
Making decisions begins as soon as a child can indicate what it is they desire, they begin to learn behaviors to obtain what they need or want. It is up to us, as adults to teach them the skills necessary to think through a situation and make a decision based on the possible outcomes. By giving the child the opportunity to make decisions they learn that what they choose directly affects the outcome.
As adults, parents, teachers, authority figures etc. we make decisions daily that affect not only ourselves but our families, out community and our country. Please arm our youth with the knowledge to make well informed and thought-out decisions. One day they will be running the show. let's hopw it is not a tragedy or a comedy!