How Kids Make Decisions

Plus, 3 tried and true action steps for your redemption program

You might know a little about child psychology, but have you considered how these concepts impact your redemption program? When kids are ready to redeem tickets, this could be their first opportunity to make an independent decision. If it isn’t, they likely aren’t used to it. By learning about how children make decisions you’re able to create a better experience for them, your staff, and your bottom line. Decision making is one of the most important skills children develop at a relatively young age. Generally, parents help kids grow in their ability to make good decisions and make them quickly. A redemption counter could be the first time a parent lets a child make a choice completely independently because the risk is rather low.So, what about children making decisions impacts your redemption area? For starters, Psychology Today says this about young decision makers, “Because children lack experience and perspective, they tend to make decisions that are impulsive and focused on immediate gratification.”That probably isn’t a surprise for you. If you spend even a few minutes with a kid in your redemption room, this will be easy to pick up on. However, even by ages 5 and 6 children are becoming more versed in their decision-making skills.“Five- and six-year-old children are becoming more conscious of decision making. They may even take a great deal of time to ponder over a choice and keep the entire class waiting! Children feel a certain luxury in this new responsibility and take it very seriously. Choosing what to wear, what activity to do, and whom to set up a playdate with can be monumental decisions for a five- and six-year-old. In the process, children are defining their personality and creating an individuated self.” — Scholastic Magazine