We typically have a variety box that contains 3 flavors. Aedyn loves all of them. You can probably guess that he can spend quite a bit of time agonizing over whether he would be happy with green, purple, or pink. It’s not an easy decision and if he makes the wrong choice he’ll often try and un-eat the popsicle just because he changed his mind on the color. (He tries to shove his hand down his throat to “get it out of tummy, no want purple anymore.”)
Like most parents, I think, Jake and I do our best to let Aedyn make all the choices he can. But more often than not we force him to make a choice before he has fully decided. Usually it’s for practical reasons; after all we can’t stand there and let 3 popsicles melt completely while our son deliberates. But the other day I watched this happen between Aedyn and Jake and I started to wonder.
What are we teaching him about decision making? That snap decisions are always
the best because they are the most convenient for everyone around him? That
just because someone else is impatient we have to throw reasoning aside and
just pick something without thinking it through?
Or is a good thing?
Are we teaching him to think quickly under pressure?
What happens in 12 years when we start lecturing him about slowing down and not rushing his decisions?
I don’t know. But I have started asking him to choose a color before we open the freezer…I just have to remember to check what colors are left a few minutes beforehand…oops.
What do you think? Do we train our kids to make snap decisions all throughout their early years and then expect it to change in highschool? Do popsicle decisions really matter in the long run?
What happens in 12 years when we start lecturing him about slowing down and not rushing his decisions?
I don’t know. But I have started asking him to choose a color before we open the freezer…I just have to remember to check what colors are left a few minutes beforehand…oops.
What do you think? Do we train our kids to make snap decisions all throughout their early years and then expect it to change in highschool? Do popsicle decisions really matter in the long run?
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