This technique helps children accept responsibility for their actions and lessens blaming. Give children choices. As children learn to make simple choices between wearing red or yellow socks, or playing with a train or a truck, they begin learning how to make decisions. Sometimes they also learn the consequences of those simple decisions. Making good decisions takes practice.
Parents can give children opportunities to learn about decision making.
Encourage win-win negotiations. Children may need some adult assistance to carry out their problem-solving ideas. Also help children evaluate why their plan did or did not work. Most young children will need adult help in thinking through this process. Even though it takes time, doing this process over and over helps young children become fairly good at identifying a problem and coming up with ways to solve the problem on their own.