The ability of making decisions should be introduced early to your toddlers.

Many people including me were so puzzled about what they really want in life. Schoolchildren wondered about what they are going to do in the future. Working people asking themselves whether they are choosing the right career path. Moms asking themselves whether they are doing the right thing, chose taking care of their child over the career or vice versa...

I love the spirit of Katy Perry in her Video "Roar". A soft, naive girl following the guy, being under his shadow, being a part of his accessories. She didn't realize her own self until she was put in the situation of must-be-independent. Being free from all the strings attached to her, she has been awaken. Katy did well in that song, her tiger eyes, her tiger voice were so powerful as if the whole jungle, the whole world is hers.

This is the way I would like to bring up my son. Knowing self well and having the ability of making decisions are necessary for him to be the boss of his life rather than being owned by it. 2-3 years old is the perfect time to introduce these skills to him, he has his own tastes, he can understand you. It doesn't meant that he can decide on whatever he likes, under 18 years old, his freedom within boundaries. Me and his Dad will be opened to discuss about these boundaries if he brings them up to us. We are going to observe him, judge the situations and give the green light whenever he's ready. It will start from all the small little things. He could decide when to stop eating, he could refuse to eat the food which taste he doesn't like, he could pick the pajamas and the favorite books for the night too. But, I'm the one who decide he would have only one chocolate a day, let him decide on this one, whole box of chocolate will be inside his tummy. I'm also the one who decide what time he should go to bed. Next will be picking his own clothes & shoes when we go out, take turns with us to choose the dinning place. I'll explain, give him information so he could learn how to be considerate when making decisions. 

This is how they trained a wild, young elephant. It is tied to a wooden frame or between two tree trunks where he is unable to move. And it is thus, tearing at the ropes and flailing with his trunk, that he is introduced to his mahout. In order to break it in, the young elephant is repeatedly stuck with an elephant hook and beaten. Fear, pain, thirst and hunger finally make the elephant give up all resistance. Eventually, the elephant begins to accept its fate. Same for human beings, the elephant hook and getting beaten are the physical punishments or the words cut more than sword parents used on their kids. This way of teaching is to heal the outer part of the wound, but make the inner side worse.

I don't want my son to be a mini-mum, mini-dad or mini-whoever. He's got to be himself, gay or straight, believer or nonbeliever, live the life the way he wants, be responsible for it. End of the day, we only live once!