Importance of Choice

Young children want to be independent. One way to encourage their independence, especially during the toddler years is to give them a choice among two alternatives. When you give a young child choices to choose from, this gives them the opportunity to exhibit independence. For example, if a young child is being difficult and doesn't want to wear his or her jacket outside when it's really cold. You can tell the child here are your choices: 1) either wear your jacket because it is cold outside, or 2) If you don't wear your jacket, then we can't go outside. Tell the child to pick one. If the child really wants to go outside, he or she will pick choice number one, and feel great that he or she got to be independent and make his or her own decision.