Fathers play a very important role in a child’s life when it comes to crucial areas such as personality building and decision making. Even though most kids turn to their mother for psychological support, they invariably look up to their fathers when it comes to decision making. Therefore it is very important for a father to understand his child’s dilemma and help him take crucial decisions promptly and rightly. In fact, it is his responsibility that he teaches his child good decision making skills that will take him or her towards the right pathway. The art of learning to analyze situations in a cool and collected manner and learning to think right should be instilled in a child by fathers very early in childhood. This article provides some tips for fathers to teach their child good decision making.
1. Adopt an easy decision-making formula
Since most kids understand things when they are put in a more simple and systematic manner, the same policy can be adopted here too. You can divide the decision making procedure into parts methodically and explain to your child.
a. Define the challenge
First of all, teach your child to identify the problem and the decision that needs to be made.
b. Consider the options
There can be many answers to a problem. Lay down those answers or in other words, options. Ask your child to list all the options that he/she has to solve his or her problem. Then think if all these choices are safe or which are the ones that are risky. Also consider the consequences of following one of these options; are there any chances that you can fail or what will be the consequences if you fail?
c. Prepare your child well for the consequences
Teach your child to think all the pros and cons of the decisions that are taken. He or she must be mentally prepared in the eventuality that he or she may not always emerge with flying colors after the result is known. Hence, in case the results fail, let your child still be happy about the decision and not repent. Show your child that he or she was capable enough to make a decision and there is always a next time. Let your child take this as a lesson and move forward positively.
d. Help your child have faith in his or her decision
When your child decides to make a decision, teach your child to have faith and stick to it, come what may. He or she should not hesitate to face the consequences, whatever they may be, and so must be prepared for them.
e. Learn and analyze from the decision
Teach your child to analyze and learn from the consequences. This would help your child in the long run. Inculcate a habit in your child to remember the situation and the consequences, whether they turned to be beneficial or wrong. By analyzing, the child will definitely learn to take quicker and more appropriate decisions in future as he or she would be more wise from this one.
2. Explain your child by giving yourself as example
Set yourself as an example for your child as most of the times kids follow whatever their parents do with utmost faith and trust. So whenever your child is watching you making a decision, see that you follow all the rules that you have set for your child. Just explain in a simple manner why you took the decision and how it was proper in that point of time and context. Your child will appreciate this and follow you in future if a similar situation arises. Furthermore the child is assured that the decision taken by him is not wrong. Most of the children learn very well just by watching and observing.
3. Give them just a few choices
Children are too young to be boggled by too many choices. It just leaves them confused and diffident. Hence, when your child is young, start giving him or her just two or maximum three choices. He/she can easily and confidently come up with an answer best suited to him or her. As your child starts growing up, you can increase the number of choices more gradually. At this stage, the child would have built enough confidence in himself or herself to make the right decision and come to a conclusion.
4. Guide your child but don’t solve the problem
Never take any decision on behalf of your child. Rather, just act like a guiding light by giving suggestions and let your child ultimately make his or her decision. Taking decisions for your child leads to lot of dependency of your child on you and your child may never be capable to handle any tricky situations all on his own. Even if you feel that your child decision might be wrong, give him or her your moral support and allow him/her to gain confidence and faith in himself/herself.
5. Assure the child of your presence in the background
Give an assurance to your child that you are always there, no matter what the consequences of his or her decision is. Never goad them or admonish your child but give him or her the required encouragement and support. Children’s confidence is always boosted when they know that their parents are there to support them.
Final thoughts
Fathers play a very crucial role and help children learn to think and make good decisions. In fact it is one of the best legacies you can leave for your kids if you want your ideas to be instilled into them regarding good decision making. They will turn out to be strong and successful citizens in future.
