Responsible Decision-Making
RESPONSIBLE DECISION-MAKING: The ability to make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions across diverse situations.
Responsible decision-making impacts every aspect of our lives including our ability to consider ethical standards, safety issues, and evaluate benefits and consequences of various actions for personal, social, and collective well-being. The goal is to build a strong sense within the decision-making process with confidence. Choices allow for growth opportunities, by minimizing impulsive decisions, reflecting on the natural consequences (social awareness), considering alternate paths to a successful solution, considering personal motivations and being willing to accept responsibility when a course of action needs to be corrected.
Such as:
- Demonstrate curiosity and open-mindedness
- Identify solutions for personal and social problems
- Learn to make a reasoned judgment after analyzing information, data, and facts
- Anticipate and evaluate the consequences of one’s actions
- Recognize how critical thinking skills are useful both inside & outside of school
- Reflect on one’s role to promote personal, family, and community well-being
- Evaluate personal, interpersonal, community, and institutional impacts
“Watch your thoughts, they become words; watch your words, they become actions; watch your actions, they become habits; watch your habits, they become character; watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”
– Frank Outlaw
Responsible Decision-Making at Home
Explore what is involved in responsible decision-making and how parents can support their child’s development through everyday interactions at home.7 Tips for Raising Caring Kids
Research clearly shows that the seeds of empathy, caring, and compassion are present from early in life, but children need…Decision-Making Resources
A variety of resources in Social And Emotional Development focused on decision-making.Social Problem-Solving Resources
Explore the variety of resources in Social And Emotional Development focused on problem solving.Tips for Encouraging Honesty
How can you encourage honesty in kids? Watch this video and review the tips.How To Be an Ethical Parent in the College Admissions Process
Parents and other primary caregivers shape their children’s moral development in myriad ways. They also often influence every phase of…Building Character
Character development is about building good habits, and habits take time to form.Little Neighbors Club Activity Book
A storybook with activity pages to inspire children to build a better world.We’ll Solve the Problem Together Song
Daniel Tiger’s neighborhood friends sing about how proud they feel when they solve their own problems at school.Encouraging Curiosity
Learn about early childhood engagement in science and nature in this article from The Fred Rogers’ Company.Fix the Problem Yourself Song
Daniel Tiger and his friends sing about feeling proud when they fix problems themselves.Feelings Color Zones
Labeling feelings is part of proven strategies that increase emotional regulation. “If you can name it, you can tame it!”Coping Through the Levels of Anger and Aggression
We all feel angry at times, but the goal is to feel content, satisfied, or grateful.
Integrated Learning, Integrated Lives
Highlighting Opportunities for Transformative SEL Within Academic Instruction
District Resource Center – Casel
Created for leaders and educators in any district, the DRC offers research-based guidance and curated resources to help organize, implement,…Student Mental Health and Well-being
A review of evidence and emerging solutions, by CRPE Reinventing Public EducationReferences:
Brading, T. (2020, September 30). Holistic health added to Army Fitness doctrine. U.S. Army. https://www.army.mil
Cozza, S. J., Knobloch, L. K., Gewirtz, A. H., DeVoe, E. R., Gorman, L. A., Flake, E. M., … & Lerner, R. M. (2018). Lessons learned and future recommendations for conducting research with military children and families. In Hughes- Kirchubel, L., Wadsworth, S., Riggs, D. (eds.), A battle plan for supporting military families (pp. 265-287). Springer, Cham. https://10.1007/978-3-319-68984-5
Doran. (n.d.). There’s a S.M.A.R.T. way to write management’s goals and objectives. Management Review, 70(11), 35–36. https://doi.org/info:doi/
Drigas, A. S., & Papoutsi, C. (2018). A new layered model on emotional intelligence. Behavioral Sciences (Basel, Switzerland), 8(5), 45. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs8050045
Goleman D.P. (1995). Emotional intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ for character, health and lifelong achievement. Bantam Books.
Gribble, R., Mahar, A. L., Keeling, M., Sullivan, K., McKeown, S., Burchill, S., … & Castro, C. A. (2020). Are we family? A scoping review of how military families are defined in mental health and substance use research. Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health, 6(2), 85-119. https://doi.org/10.3138/jmvfh-2019-0054
Hughes-Kirchubel, L., Wadsworth, S.M. (2018). Introduction to a battle plan for supporting military families. In Hughes- Kirchubel, L., Wadsworth, S., Riggs, D. (eds.), A battle plan for supporting military families (pp. 1-10). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-68984-5_1
Klug, H. J. P., & Maier, G. W. (2015). Linking goal progress and subjective well-being: A meta-analysis. Journal of Happiness Studies: An Interdisciplinary Forum on Subjective Well-Being, 16(1), 37-65. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-013-9493-0
Masten, A. S. (2018). Resilience theory and research on children and families: Past, present, and promise. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 10(1), 12-31. https://doi.org/10.1111/jftr.12255
Masten, A. S. (2021). MULTISYSTEM RESILIENCE: PATHWAYS TO AN INTEGRATED FRAMEWORK. Research in Human Development, 18(3), 153-163. https://doi.org/10.1080/15427609.2021.1958604 .
Maybery, D. J., Goodyear, M. J., Reupert, A. E., & Harkness, M. K. (2013). Goal setting within family care planning: families with complex needs. The Medical journal of Australia, 199(3), S37–S39. https://doi.org/10.5694/mja11.11179
Mullet, N., Fuss, C., Lyddon, L., Mondloch, D., Neal, S., Nelson Goff, B. S., … & Ruhlmann, L. M. (2021). Finding our new normal: A 10-year follow-up study with US Army veterans and their spouses. Journal of Couple & Relationship Therapy, 1-25. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332691.2021.1945986
Office of the Surgeon General (OSG). (2021). Protecting youth mental health: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory. US Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK575984/
Pexton, S., Farrants, J., & Yule, W. (2018). The impact of fathers’ military deployment on child adjustment. The support needs of primary school children and their families separated during active military service: A pilot study. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 23(1), 110–124. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359104517724494
Siegel, D. J., & Bryson, P. H. D. T. P. (2012). The whole-brain child. Random House. https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/camh.12053_6
Sigelman, C. K., Friedman, S. L., & Kildon, J. (2019). Communication, context, and well-being among military couples. Military Behavioral Health, 7(4), 363-375. https://doi.org/10.1080/21635781.2019.1646173
Sullivan, R. M., Cozza, S. J., & Dougherty, J. G. (2019). Children of military families. Child and adolescent psychiatric clinics of North America, 28(3), 337–348. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chc.2019.02.004
Theiss, J. A. (2018). Family communication and resilience. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 46(1), 10-13. https://doi.org/10.1080/00909882.2018.1426706
Disclosure Statement: These tools are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.
Have a Question? Ask an MSC!
If you have a question about academic transition, education options, or how to best meet the needs of your military-connected child, connect with a Military Student Consultant.
Our MSCs truly understand the challenges related to military life and they stand ready to serve.