Why does the kid need a coke?

I am at an indoor water park with my family. I walk to the bathroom. I notice sitting at a table along my path is a child likely aged five. The child is sitting on his mother’s lap. The young child is drinking a dark brown (black) carbonated liquid through the straw of a McDonald’s cup.

My first thought was doesn’t this mother know the dangers of caffeine for children who haven’t hit puberty. Doesn’t she know the dangers of caffeine was my first question.

Then I decided that it was none of my business but if it was, that was the wrong question. The better question was, why does this five year old need a coke?

It’s early in the morning. Maybe he is groggy and needs to wake up. So the caffeine is the key ingredient.

Maybe the child is having a blood sugar issue and needs the sugar spike.

Maybe dehydration is the issue and the water content is the thing of need.

Maybe it was a convenient distraction because the mother needed the kid to be quiet.

There are alternatives solutions to all of these situations that don’t involve giving your kid a coke. Therefore those solutions will lead to wiser outcomes.

So what

On occasion try avoiding asking yourself about the dangers of why you shouldn’t do something as a way to dissuade taking the action. Instead ask yourself about the benefits of doing something. Why are you doing this thing or making this decisions?

Just because it isn’t illegal or overly dangerous doesn’t mean you should do it. If avoiding obvious and immediate peril is the only rationale you use to determine if you should do something then consider raising your decision making bar.

The next time you are going to do something ask yourself why am I going to do this? If the why isn’t a true benefit. Sleep on the decision.