I just wanted to take this post a bit further. The same strategies can be so helpful as your kids get older and have to start making more difficult decisions on the spot (e.g. the preteen and teenage years). During your discussions with your child, come up with specific “answers” to those situations your child will most likely come across. Some examples:
1. When teenager is in a car with a friend who is driving way too fast, it can be uncomfortable. It’s so helpful for a teenager to have something prepared that they are comfortable saying, such as “Hey Bozo, slow down! Are you trying to freak me out?”
2. Said teenager finds herself at a party and is offered a drink: “Oh no, not for me. I don’t drink”.

When children have already practiced these responses, it can be so much easier to communicate them. When you have your discussions with your child on behavior and expectations, don’t forget to help your child figure out exactly how to respond and communicate in sticky situations.