What it is

The foundation for choosing well.

Why it’s Important

Choosing the best from a pool of good options takes comparing relevant features to that which is most important—TO YOU!

Relevant Features

   Product:  Functionality, Warranty, Price, etc.

        Food:  Serving Size, Calories, Protein, etc.

    People:  Values, Personality, Integrity, etc.

The Problem

Marketing hype and social pressure confuse decision making.  We're sold the idea of faster, extra, thinner, healthier, etc. Often the "extra" is wasted.

In a world of infinite choice people make mistakes:

Waste time trying to decide

Waste money buying bells, whistles - - - The wrong things!

The Tip

Dare to Compare

Make a game out of comparing two similar snack foods and allow your child to make the best choice for herself.

 Step 1:  Curious

The next time your child asks for a not-so-healthy snack, like chips, ask her if she’s considered all her options.

“Sure you can have a snack. Have you considered some of the other snacks we have?”

 Step 2:  No Strings

Regardless the answer, ask if he would be willing to compare two snacks side by side.  Make sure to emphasize that he gets to choose his snack no matter what's discovered.

“I wonder what the difference is between this and that.  Wanna portion out a serving of each and see? I promise to let you pick your snack . . . or maybe even have both.”

 Step 3:  Clarify Importance

Before portioning the snacks, ask your child what’s most important to her, i.e., portion size, crunchiness, taste, etc.

 Step 4:  Compare

Allow your child to portion a serving of each snack onto a colored napkin or plate.

Do  ask him to read the labels to you

Don’t  criticize the snacks

Do  ask her what was surprising

Don’t  drag the experiment out too long

Do  thank him for playing

Step 5:  Enjoy!

Make good on your promise and let him pick his snack

OR --  have BOTH!

 Step 6:  Zip Lips

Trust that your message about wise choice making has been received.

 Allow your influence to work its magic even if you’re not seeing much change on the outside.

 Benefits

Adding sensory input to ideas makes everything more fun and memorable

Playful

It’s fun to play with your food!

Surprising

I’ve been surprised each time we’ve compared.  Who knew veggie chips were about as “healthy” as regular chips?

 Trust

The no-strings-attached approach zaps the risk right out of curiosity.

Influence

Open her eyes to the world of choice without asking too much from her all at once.

Promise Kept:

We promised to teach our kids how to think for themselves.  Encouraging him to clarify his needs and desires before comparing his options makes good on that promise.

Yippie!

Related Articles:  Thinking in Shades of Gray,

Related Tip of the Week:  The Ignore List

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