Navigating Decision Making and Autonomy in Adolescence
Explore the journey towards autonomy and decision-making in adolescence, including considerations of personal responsibility, influences on choices, and the impact of newfound responsibilities. Delve into practical examples, like evaluating job decisions and facing new responsibilities, to develop good decision-making skills and prepare for future choices.
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Year C Module 3: My responsibilities 9. Decision making
9. Decision making Decision making In this unit we will: Describe my personal journey towards more autonomy. Consider who influences my decisions at the moment. Examine a framework to support good decision making and try it out. Express the feelings I experience as I am responsible for more decisions.
9. Decision making Life skill focus Prudence: Making good and wise decisions.
9. Decision making Individual activity: Facing new responsibilities What important decisions are you faced with this year? How does it feel to be experiencing more responsibility? Are you excited and enthusiastic about it, or do you feel you d like to go back to your childhood when your parents decided everything?
9. Decision making The journey to autonomy This is about taking charge and having personal responsibility for more aspects of your life as you progress through adolescence. This helps prepare you for all the decisions you will make later as an adult. You may still be influenced by other people s opinions or expectations, but the final decision will be yours. Right now you are in a transition period where you have more autonomy than before, but you probably still don t have full control over your choices especially academic ones. There may be subject choices for your Leaving Certificate or GCSE that are not possible with your school s timetable. You d like to spend your spare time socialising with friends, but your parents have set limits on when you need to be home.
9. Decision making Group work: Evaluating information Here s another example of how an adolescent can aim to make a rational decision. Greg has a weekend job in a gas station. Sometimes the hours aren t great, but he likes the work and he likes being able to spend the money he earns. He will be starting his final year in September and his parents think it would be a good idea to give up the job and focus on his study. Greg s not sure about this he knows he needs to study, but he doesn t want to give up the job. He decided to write out the pros and cons to help him make a good decision. Here s what he wrote
9. Decision making Advantages of keeping job Money Feel independent Keep the job for next summer if I give it up now, boss will take someone else on Disadvantages Less free time Less time to study Hard to focus on study after working late shifts Don t see my friends at weekends Parents won t be totally happy Is this a moral question? What does my conscience tell me? I don t think it s either right or wrong to keep the job. Although I suppose I do have a responsibility to do my best in the exams. What s the reasonable thing to do? Not a good idea to keep doing the hours I m doing I won t get any study done What do my feelings tell me I don t really want to give it up. It s a good distraction from all the stress of school, and it s great to have the money What advice have others given me? Parents have advised me to give it up. Best friend suggested I reduce hours. What are my priorities I want to go to college, so I should focus on my studies I like having my own money I really enjoy the social side of the work Decision I think I ll ask the boss if I can I cut my hours between now and Christmas, then give up the job after Christmas and focus on study.
9. Decision making Be responsible, be active Complete this decision making template yourself for a decision you are faced with this year. Choose someone you trust to talk it through with afterwards. Advantages of _______ Disadvantages Is this a moral question? What does my conscience tell me? What s the reasonable thing to do? What do my feelings tell me What advice have others given me? What are my priorities Decision
9. Decision making Build resilience Take some time to connect with your thoughts and feelings about the decisions you are faced with. Does it feel good to be able to decide things for yourself and direct your own life? Are there any feelings of anxiety or fear? Use positive self-talk to encourage yourself I can make good decisions I can grow in responsibility and make good choices for my life It s ok to make mistakes, I can try again I am growing and developing into a mature and responsible adult What does God want for me in this? Will this choice bring me closer to Christ?
