Hands up who has been witness to the dreaded ‘I wanted the blue cup’ meltdown?
Or what about the ‘I want some watermelon’ tantrum when there is no watermelon in the house?
If you find your kids are getting stressed, short tempered, indecisive or just plain cranky at having to make (or deal with) choices in their day to day life, you’re not alone.

Sometimes it can feel as though we are empowering our kids by offering them so many choices of healthy kids snacks/clothing/activities.
But on the other hand, many kids find the act of choosing so difficult that it becomes yet another obstacle to deal with.
Today we have some ideas to try out if you find that the endless choices are getting you or your kids down.

Give a choice of two things

Make it easy on your kids and rather than taking the choice away completely, give them two options (that you have already mentally approved).
For instance you might ask if they would like an apple or some cheese (rather than letting them stand in front of the fridge for ten minutes).
You might say ‘which one of these three books would you like me to read you before bed?’ instead of having the child spend ten minutes choosing which book they might like.
When it comes to clothing, you could try giving them a choice of two outfits rather than waiting for them to peruse their entire wardrobe.

Limit their options

This can work well for little ones – if food choices are an issue, try packing a lunch box for them even when you are just at home.
They can choose anything that they would like to eat, but only from the lunchbox. You can pack it with healthy options that you know they will enjoy (plus add a few extra healthy bits that they will eat if they are actually hungry).
If you are currently in the midst of the ‘favourite plate’ challenge, an extreme but effective option is to avoid buying multi coloured plates, cups and cutlery and just stick to one colour. Meltdown avoided.

Give them a time limit

If choices are long and deliberated you might never get out the door each day.
For some families, giving the kids a time limit (either by your watch or get an old fashioned timer) can be really useful.
So it could be that they have one minute to choose which toy to bring to the park, or you leave without it. Or there is 30 seconds to choose a piece of fruit to eat or you choose for them.
What do you think? How do you give your children choices without overwhelming them with options? We would love to hear from you in the comments section.
If you find choices hard too, especially when it comes to healthy eating and losing pregnancy weight – the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge might be just the thing for you.

So don’t delay – join literally THOUSANDS of mums on the challenge with us who lose an average of 4-6kg (8 – 13 pounds) over 28 days – you can read all about it here and see how it works

For over 800 family friendly recipes with daily meal and exercise plans, join our 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge made especially for BUSY MUMS – plus you do the challenge with tens of thousands of other mums and chat daily – even hourly with them for constant support in our private group.

Results from mums on the 28 Day Challenge

Mums lose an average of 4-6kg (8-13 pounds) on our 28 Day Challenge and below are some of the amazing results from mums JUST LIKE YOU who are already using the 28 Day Challenge and losing tummy fat – make the change and join them today too!
You can see lots of more results and you can join here too
Lizzie lost 10kg (22 pounds) on 3 Challenges

Lizzie says: “The food is delicious and very easy to make. The recipes are very simple and don’t require a lot of ingredients.
I love that the menu plan for the week is all worked out and it can be customised to suit your family and the ingredients you may have on hand” Join here
Angela has lost 12kg (26 pounds)on 2 Challenges

Angela says “The team at Lose Baby Weight and The Healthy Mummy just make it all so easy to follow and customisable so I can make it work for what suits me and my family best. I now have a better relationship with food, enjoy the feeling I get when I eat well.” Join here
Carmen has lost 20kg (44 pounds) on 4 Challenges

Carmen says “The 28 Day Challenges have been such an incredible tool in my weight loss and it is made so easy as everything is done for you from food, to shopping lists to the exercises”
Jasmine has lost 8kg (17 pounds) on 1 Challenge

Jasmine says “I loved the 28 day challenge. It has already taught me so much on healthy eating and portion sizes, I will be staying with the LBW team for many years to come, and I just want to say a massive thank you for helping my change my life and get on track to getting me back xx” Join here
Eliza lost 22kg (48 pounds) on 4 Challenges

Eliza says “I started in September with my first 28 Day Weightloss Challenge. I lost 8 kg that month. So far I have lost 22 kg. But it is what I have gained which will make me a supporter for life! Join here
Ashley has lost 22kg (48 pounds) on 4 rounds

Ashley says “To date I have now lost over 22kg since starting with the 28 Day Challenges.  Back in September I never thought I would be where I am now in a short six months.” Join here
Lauren has lost 46kg (101 pounds) on 6 rounds

Lauren says “I’d highly recommend starting with a 28 Day Weight Loss Challenges. It’s such a great way to learn about healthy eating and exercise….. The Challenges are perfect as they run for 28 days, with so many different customizable options for every meal and day” Join here
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