Learning about Decisions

Learning about Decisions
Part 2




Lesson for children:




What decisions have YOU made today?




Do you think that any of them were important?




Were some of them easy choices?




Were any of them difficult to make?  Which ones?




Why are some decisions more difficult to make than others?




All of us make decisions every day.  We decide when to get up, what to wear, what to eat, where to go, what to  do, and how we will respond to the words and actions of others.




Some decisions may affect us for no more than a few seconds or minutes.  The consequences of other choices may be felt for the rest of our lives.  Often the decisions we make have an impact upon the lives of others too.




If we will take the time to discover how to make better choices and wiser decisions, we can enjoy more satisfying lives.  By making wiser choices we can be better people.  Those around us who share the consequences of our decisions may also benefit greatly.




In the future, will be spending some time learning about how decisions are made.  You will get to know your WILL, your REASON, your CONSCIENCE, and your MOODS.  You will discover how they all interact when you make decisions.  And you will learn which ones sometimes get in the way of making the wisest choices.




Let's go through a list of decisions that you make during your lifetime and talk about them.  Then let's decide these things:




1)  Which decisions would affect you for just a few seconds or minutes?




2)  Which ones could have lifetime consequences?  What are they?




3)  Which ones could affect the lives of other people too?  In what ways?




Here's the list of decisions we will be talking about:




A)  to buckle your seat belt or not
B)  to spend all your money or to save some




C)  to play fair or to cheat
D)  to eat nutritious food or junk food




E)  to take care of your things or to neglect them
F)  to do your best or to do only enough to get by




G)  to put yourself first or to consider the rights of others
H)  to watch lots of TV or to read and play active games




I)  to do your share or to leave the job for someone else
J)  to experiment with harmful substances like alcohol, drugs, and tobacco or to leave them alone




K)  to pick friends who are a positive influence or to choose friends who are wild and don't follow the rules
L)  to do your homework or to think of only having fun




M)  to make fun of others or to consider their feelings




By examining how you answered these questions, analyze yourself and decide if you make wise or sad choices.  Discuss how you perceive your ability to make wise decisions with your mom or dad.