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September 12 2020

Kindful Kids Weekly

Quote of the Week

"The way kids learn to make good decisions is by making decisions, not by following directions." - Alfie Kohn

Raising Good Decision Makers

"One of the most powerful tools you can impart to your child is to teach him how to become good decision-maker. Decision-making is a life-long skill that shapes a child into the mature adult. Decisions need to be made after carefully examining the risks and rewards for short and long term consequences.

You, as a parent, are your child’s best model and motivator for decision-making. Parents need to have an appropriate approach for guiding decision-making for their child. The setting has to be physically calm, verbally engaging, and non-threatening.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when guiding your child to be a better decision maker:" [read more]

Reading Corner

Title: I Can Make Wise Choices

By: Darcy Pattison

Ages: All ages

"Follow a boy as he works through small, medium and big choices. Kids will gain confidence in their own ability to make wise choices with a growth mindset.

Kids can become resilient, confident and happy when they are mindful of their choices. They’ll learn to set goals, visualize their dreams and stay focused. Making choices is a normal part of a child’s life. In this fun, colorful book kids will learn that there are small, medium and big choices. For the small choices, they can casually make a decision. For medium choices, they need to think and to take time to make the choice. For big choices, kids are encouraged to ask for help. Don’t sweat the small ones, be reasonable on the medium choices, and get help on the big choices.

A boy chooses which shoes to wear to school and is comfortable making a mixed-up choice because it’s a small decision. He thinks hard about his Chinese grandmother’s birthday present—a medium decision—because he loves her and cares what she thinks. When he has to choose a sport, he asks Mom and Dad for advice. Big decisions should be talked about so all the variables are considered.

Take the stress out of decision making for your children reading this book together. I Can Make Wise Choices encourages discussion of the options you’re considering as part of the decision-making process. Give your child confidence that they can make the wise choices." - Publishers

Recommended by Kindful Kids Editors

Be The Change

This week, ask your children to solve hypothetical problems. by playing the ‘What If’ game. To play the game, first write a series of ‘what if’ questions on slips of paper, fold them, and then place them in a container. Take turns with your child selecting and answering a ‘what if’ question.

You can ask questions such as:

What if you found a hundred dollars, what would you do?
What if a stranger tries to talk to you?
What if your sister took your toy without asking?
What if you classmate doesn’t invite you to their party?

Playing the ‘what if’ game gets children to stop and think about what they would do if they were faced with a particular situation.


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About

Kindful Kids was formed in the spring of 2011, to serve as a resource for parents who are keen to teach children about compassion and service. It is a project of ServiceSpace.

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Meghna, Deven, Trishna, Neha and Brinda are currently volunteer editors for this newsletter. If you have any content recommendations for this newsletter, we would love to hear from you!

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