Written by: Greg Ellifritz
The most common questions I get from readers involve how to best protect families and children. I’m a single dude who has never been married and has no kids. I’m really not the one to ask those questions. I’d rather refer those questions to people with more expertise in the arena of teaching children than I have.
My friends Brian and Shelley Hill from The Complete Combatant have recently introduced a new product that I think many of you will find ideal for fostering educational opportunities with your young children.
I had previously reviewed their product called Image Based Decisional Skills and thought it was brilliant. Brian and Shelley have expanded their original idea and developed “Smart Choices,” an image-based learning product designed for children ages four to 13.
Smart Choices is a grab bag full of 84 different professionally produced photographs. Each photograph depicts a situation that may be potentially dangerous for your child. The photos are designed to be instructional tools to facilitate discussion between you and your child.
One the back side of each card are bullet point discussion topics in the event that you (the parent) doesn’t know how to begin talking about the photo.
The unique element of Smart Decisions is that the product doesn’t supply rote educational material. It merely facilitates a discussion between you and your child about important topics. YOU provide the teaching points and steer the discussion in a way you see fit. The product includes a booklet with instructions on how to facilitate such a discussion and best practices for use with different age groups.
The 84 different cards provide discussion material covering topics like:
- You see a strange dog off a leash
- See smoke seeping in around your bedroom door
- See a friend doing something dangerous
- Peer pressure
- Unwanted touch
- Internet safety
- Household medication
- See a weapon on a table
- Medical emergencies
- Drugs
- Grand Adventures
- Lost
- Active killer
- Kitchen safety
- Truth or dare
- First Aid
- Body Posture
Watch Shelley’s video tutorial about how the product works in the video embedded below.
I think the product is both brilliant and unique. I’ve never seen anything like it on the market. I will be loaning my version of Smart Decisions to all of my friends who are parents of young children. It is an amazing idea and superbly executed.
I can’t recommend this product highly enough. You can purchase it at the Image Based Decisional Skills website.
*FTC Disclosure- Brian and Shelley provided me with a free review copy of their product. They did so without expectation of any review or endorsement. I am not financially affiliated with this product or the Complete Combatant in any way. I make no money if you buy it. This review is my personal opinion and is designed to make my readers aware of excellent products in which they may be interested.