Two of the topics featured in this month’s Family Table Talk kit are decision-making and heroism. While they may seem unrelated, they are actually two sides of the same coin, and that is courage: the strength to choose the right decision and the determination to face your fears and move ahead regardless of those fears.

Kids who have a solid foundation in making healthy decisions and who have the courage to heroically resist the pressures from peers to experiment with illicit drugs and alcohol will be able to make the right choices throughout their lives.

Effective decision-making consists of a series of steps that can be taught:

• gathering information
• evaluating evidence
• examining alternatives
• weighing risks
• choosing the best alternative
• judging the result

This last step is often overlooked, but it is part of the learning process. Was the result positive? If not, how would I choose differently next time?

Next comes the heroic part: implementing the course you feel is right, even if all your peers are urging a different course of action. Whether it’s resisting drugs or standing up for bullied friends, heroism often consists of going against the crowd.

Heroes don’t have to wear costumes and display superhuman strength. Many everyday heroes are those who simply do what’s difficult, but necessary, day in and day out.

Some examples of these are:

• doctors and nurses
• firefighters
• postal carriers
• police officers
• grocery store workers
• soldiers
• teachers
• parents

Researchers in psychology have found that heroes have two essential qualities: They live by their values and are willing to endure personal risk to protect those values.

Talk to your kids about making difficult decisions, and how they can be heroes in their everyday lives.

And if you haven’t yet done so, check out our Family Table Talk kits and see how these carefully developed resources can provide you with the tools you need to help guide your family to make courageous decisions.