“advance decision”

The “advance decision” method for making “right-wrong” decisions has resonated well with parents we have talked with all over the world. Some of the most gratifying feedback we get is from parents who brag a little about the list of decisions their kids have made on the back pages of their journals and how much safer those kids (and the parents) feel now that they have a certain ownership of those choices.

And teaching kids how to analyze and list pros and cons for their multi-alternative decisions gives them a powerful feeling of ownership for the choices they make. This kind of ownership increases commitment and generates a true sense of responsibility and an acceptance of consequences.