Giving A Child Choices

I was watching the movie ‘Stardust.’ At one point one of the witches gives two of the characters a ‘choice’: “Either you can ride in the carriage, or be dragged behind. Your choice.” When the characters would rather not go with her at all. She uses this again later, “So what’s it to be? Frog or tadpole?” As if that character might like to be turned into either one.

I’m afraid that is my attitude to much of the choice giving that is given to children. Thinking that because they are being given choices, it doesn’t matter what those choices are. “You can go to bed right now, or after I read you one story. Your choice.” Right. Great choice. What if the child is not tired and does not want to go to bed at all, or wants 10 stories, or wants to watch a favorite DVD first, or…

What if both are considered evils to the child…never mind that, they are ‘lucky’ to be getting to choose. Right? Sure, that’s right in a totaliarian household, the training ground for a totaliarian world…but who really wants to live like that?

I don’t know of anyone.

A true ‘choice’ is when there is more than one desirable, wonderful thing to choose from…think about it. Isn’t that the kind of choice you’d like? Where any choice is a great, joyful choice!

In my next post, I’ll let you know how you can make this happen for your family….

You might like to go to www.parentchildteacher.com and check it out now!