A Healthy Way to Make
Decisions and Solve Problems
Every day we make decisions and solve problems, sometimes without even thinking about it. We
decide many things: how to organize the car-pool, what to have for dinner, which babysitter to choose.
Our children make decisions and solve problems daily, too. Learning a healthy way to approach these
situations helps students make good choices.
In school, your child has been learning to use the WIN steps
for making decisions and solving problems:
1. What happened? Stop and think about the situation. Calm down if
needed in order to think clearly. Have a clear idea of
what happened to cause the problem or need for a
decision.
2. Ideas for what to do.
Think of options for making the decision or solving
the problem. Make sure they’re all good ideas.
3. Now, act!
Choose the option you think will work best; then try it.
In the WIN step 2, students check out their ideas in two different ways to make
sure they’re good ones. First, they check each idea with these questions:
•
•
•
•
•
Does this idea follow my values?
Will this idea help me stay safe?
Does this idea follow our rules?
Does this idea show respect?
Can this idea work? Is it realistic?
Students have to answer “yes” to each of these questions to count an idea as a good one. If they answer “no” to any question, they have to throw out that idea and move on to the next idea.
The second way students can check out their ideas is to talk with a trusted adult, such as a parent, other family member, or teacher. Adults can give
opinions about the students’ ideas and can also suggest new ones.
Page 116
Lesson 9
2–Social/Emotional
© Copyright 2007
You can help your child use the WIN steps
when problems arise at home. For example,
pretend your child and a friend are fighting
because they both want to read the same
book. The conversation of using the WIN
steps might sound something like this:
You say, “It sounds like we have a
problem. Let’s stop and think. What
happened?”
Your child says, “It’s my book, and I want
to read it. So does he.”
Your child’s friend says, “Right. I want to
read it because I don’t have it at home.”
You say, “What can we do so both of you
get to read it?”
Your child says, “We could take turns.”
Your child’s friend says, “We could read
it together.”
At this point, the two children have suggested several
ways to solve the problem. Now they need to check
out their ideas using the five questions. Then select
a good idea to try. You can help them as they work
through these parts of the WIN method.
As caring adults, we want to offer as much help and
give as much direction as possible to our children.
One way to do this is to encourage them to ask us for
help. Although the problems of second graders may
seem small to us as adults, those problems seem very
large to our children. They need our help. Setting up
a pattern of asking for adult help at an early age is
important.
As your child gets older, the problems and decisions
he or she faces get more complicated. Our health
lessons at higher grade levels build on the WIN steps
to help students pick and try ideas that are safe and
positive even in difficult situations. Helping your child
begin learning to use the WIN steps now will create a
healthy foundation for future growth and strong relationships.
Your child says, “He could find
something else to play with for awhile,
and then I’ll give him the book to read.”
Your child’s friend says, “You could read it to us.”
Check Out How Your Child Is Using WIN and More!
Visit the “Family Corner” on the Educational Materials Center website at www.emc.cmich.edu/family.
There you will find a checklist you can use to assess how well your child is using the WIN steps for
making decisions.
Take a look at the other health resources in the Family Corner. Research children’s books or a health topic of interest to you.
© Copyright 2007
2–Social/Emotional
Lesson 9 Page 117