Giving our kids choices in life is extremely important; it helps them learn to be decisive and problem solve early on.
However, experts are warning against giving little ones too many choices in any situation because of the negative effects it can have on their psyche later in life.
Choices can be hard – even for adults – so it’s understandable that it can have a much greater effect on a young person.
According to lifeskillsadvocate.com, something called ‘decision fatigue’ can actually lead adults and children into making poor and impulsive decisions.
“Decision fatigue occurs when a child demonstrates a lack of self-control or makes poor decisions following periods of needing to making good decisions and demonstrate good self-control,” they explain.
It occurs when we are presented with too many choices to make in one day.
The attention and creativity of children as young as 18 months can be affected in a negative way if we, as their parents, give them too many options – even with something as simple as toys.
Making choices is an important skill that children need to explore and perfect – so when given age-appropriate choices that are not too numerous, it’s of benefit to them.
The goal of allowing kids to make their own choices is to aid them in learning to feel more confident in the process of making decisions for themselves, so that they can use this skill independently as they grow.
The challenge for parents is finding an appropriate balance between building their confidence and protecting them from getting confused by trivial choices.
An example of this would be offering your child under 2 a choice between two of their favourite things after dinner time, instead of offering up a whole host of things to choose from whether they be toys or books.
Do you have some tips for avoiding decision fatigue for adults and kids? Let us know over on social media.
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