NEW BEGINNINGS--making decisions September 2013
Wow!! We have made it through the first two weeks of school. Beginning school means lots of decisions and lots of changes. Someone needs to make decisions of what to do to get everything done for a student's day. Many decisions have limited life time impact, such as, "what are we going to eat for dinner?" Other's decisions leave long impressions, such as, "what should I say if a friend is unkind?"
Children learn to make good decisions not only by what you teach and but especially by what you do. Bad decisions are usually made quickly and without thought of the consequences. They are often made when we are tired, frustrated, stressed and or emotional. These keep us from thinking through the whole situation and prevent us from make the best choice. Sometime we just need to
S.T.O.P! S=Stop and breath. T=Think about the situation. O=Options, what are my choices? P=Process what just occurred. Sometime when decisions are needed we would like to "sleep on it."
But this fact paced world needs quality quick responses.
Good decision making need prior planning. Thinking ahead makes it less stressful when changes are needed. For example if you have a flat tire on the way to school: Who needs to be notified? Who can you call to help? Do you have their numbers in my phone? Will my phone be charged?
Children need to hear you model your thinking. Talk with them about making decisions about their potential problems. Ask them how they would solve the problem of losing their lunch money, forgetting their homework, feeling sick, or telling someone they were unkind. Planning ahead can mean that they made great choices!!
The counselor are ready to help with any situation. This fall we will talk about making good choices and handling difficult situation. We welcome your calls.
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