Choices for Children- Agency

“ I believe our default position ought to be to let kids make decisions about matters that concern them except when there is a compelling reason for us to override that right ( Kohn, pg. 168)”. When we let children make decisions we are helping them to grow and feel responsible. This will also help them in years to come when they have bigger decisions to make. If we make all the decisions for our children then we are holding them back and disabling them from thinking, planning out and carrying out the plan of action. Kohn continues to share that; “Teenagers who are able to participate in family decision-making are more apt to rely on their parents and to share many of their beliefs. They also end up feeling better about themselves, liking school more, and preferring more challenging assignments-and, if all that’s not enough, they’re also more likely to stay out of trouble (Kohn, pg 169)”.  I have seen how this can affect kids for both the good and bad. In class a girl shared that she never made decisions and always did what her mom said. She is now in college and calls her mom for everything. She feels held back and unable to decide things for herself and it has also affected her self-esteem and self-worth. “The way kids learn to make good decisions is by making decisions, not by following directions (Kohn, pg 169)”. God sent us to earth to gain a body and having earthly experiences. In our experiences we would learn and grow, distinguish good from evil, and to make choices. Our choices will determine where we go from this earthly life. As President Thomas S. Monson said, “Decisions determine Destiny (Monson, Pathways to Perfection)”. We also can read in 2 Nephi 2:26, “And the Messiah cometh in the fullness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given”.