Importance of Decision Making Skills in Children's Lives

At some point, every child finds themselves in situations where they need to make a decision. It could be during their academic lives or when they are pursuing their careers, but these moments can actively impact their futures. It can help them tackle complicated situations, new experiences and professional challenges seamlessly without letting it affect their mental health. Lack of effective decision-making skills on the other hand can encourage impulsiveness. Often, decisions made impulsively can lead to unfavourable consequences. Understanding the importance of decision-making skills for students and cultivating them at a young age is crucial to raising more aware and efficient adults.

What constitutes decision-making skills?
As a parent, you often decide what your toddler eats and wears. However, as they get older, it is important that you let them have some control over what they choose to do. For instance, they can start picking up their own outfits or deciding what they want for breakfast. If you feel like they are responsible enough to handle money, you can even start allocating pocket money and letting them figure out how to spend and save. These are some examples that require proactive decision-making on the child's part.

They can either choose to impulsively figure out ways and answers or go through the process of listing down the pros and cons. Your answer to why is decision-making important in life, starts here. Rationally figuring out the best possible solution leads to an expected outcome, hence reducing feelings of disappointment. The bottom line is, decision-making skills encompass rational thinking guided by motivation and potentially desirable outcomes.

The Importance of Decision-Making skills
There are many benefits of decision-making, especially for children.

1. Result-oriented thought process
   

   Allowing your children to start making their own decisions albeit over smaller situations can encourage result-oriented thought processes. Most impulsive decisions eventually lead to undesired consequences. This can affect their overall perception towards life in general, discouraging them from taking any decisions at all. However, when you teach them to consider the pros and cons of making a particular choice, it directs them towards a more positive approach to life. They learn to make decisions that propel them towards a better future through careful consideration of various factors that impact them. All you need to do is be patient and guide their decision-making process in a direction where they do not choose in haste.

2. Develops a considerate attitude
   

   The importance of decision-making in management is that it builds considerate individuals. For instance, you hand your child a fixed monthly allowance which includes all their small expenses like a library, buying candies or gifts for their friends. Once in a while, they might have to save and buy their best friend a gift on their birthday. To do this, they may need to make some sacrifices too. Small instances like this that require a sacrifice to be made encourage children to do so for every situation they come across. Not only will they consider personal motivations, but will grow to be more self-aware and empathetic. This leads them to make a positive impact on those around them and build a strong community that always has their back.

3. Reduces disappointments
   

   Every choice leads to either a positive result or a negative consequence. When children make their own decisions, they learn to expect both the bad and the good. For example, if your child decides to spend instead of saving for something important, they might regret their choice later when they miss out on something. In order for children to cultivate empathy, self-awareness and consideration, they need to face the consequences of their choices, especially when it's not what they hoped for. Once they get used to not always getting what they had hoped for, it will eventually hone their decision-making ability, and reduce their disappointments as well.

   The power of effective decision-making can affect the entire course of your child's future. When they know what they want and how to achieve it without hurting others, one can say that they are efficient decision-makers. If you are a parent looking to build this skill in your child, know that it is no easy task. It takes patience, planning and repetition on your part so they can start developing better habits. However, seeing your little one make the right choices can make all of that hard work feel worth the effort.