No matter what their age, kids are making decisions all the time. Children and teens frequently make decisions on the spur of the moment, sometimes without thinking. They tend to look at solutions to problems as black or white, all or nothing, yes or no. Kids also focus on the situation at hand and have difficulty looking ahead to see how a decision could affect them later.

The SODAS method accomplished two goals:

• It gives parents and children a process for solving problems and making decisions together.
• It helps parents teach children how to solve a problem and make decisions on their own.

SODAS stands for:

• Situation
• Options
• Disadvantages
• Advantages
• Solution