Posted on January 30, 2019March 4, 2024 by office@smartsteps4me.com

Cold Weather Decisions

Brrr, it’s cold outside!

Does your loved one know what to do to manage weather situations? Do you find yourself reminding them of the same thing over and over? Would you like to change that? Here’s how:

Let’s brainstorm decisions we might make in cold weather:

What to wear for different temperatures,
What to do if their bus doesn’t arrive on time,
What to do if they are stuck inside all day,
What to eat if stuck at home or away from home, or
How to find out whether school or work has been cancelled for the day.

You can probably think of others. How do you turn these situations into content for the Smart Steps app?

You will probably arrive at your own method, but here are a couple of steps to draft a Decision Tree:

List two or three options to consider. If there are more than three, think about different scenarios. Then you can group the options into those scenarios. For example, if the problem is being hungry, there are probably lots of options for snacks. Scenarios could be time of day or location. You can include one or both or even more. Here’s how:

The first set of nodes could potentially say “morning”, “lunch”, “snack”, “dinner”.

First set of options: Breakfast, Lunch, Snack, Dinner

The next set of nodes linked to “morning”, “lunch”, “snack” and “dinner” choices could say “at home” and “away from home”.

The next set of nodes connected to “at home” and “away from home” could say “eat” or “drink”.

Options: Something to Eat, Something to Drink

You can add other options, such as “Hot” or “Cold”.

Last, list some food options. (Later, you’ll add a node to the end of each string to represent Help and Success.)

2. In step 1, you outlined some content for the app. Now, go back to the beginning of the sequence. When the app user opens up their Smart Steps Mobile app, they will see the Home Screen listing the names of their personal Decision Trees.

Think of a short name for this Decision Tree, such as “Want to Eat”.

After they select the Decision Tree, they will see one button before starting on their decision tree. This is a place to write a note of encouragement or a reminder of a calming strategy. It can be as long or short as you would like. Say something like, “Hang in there!” or “Breathe 1-2-3-4-5.”

The first screen of the decision tree has an encouraging message: "We'll figure this out." — The first screen can have an encouraging message.

The Decision Trees tab — Decision Trees Tab

Once you’ve got this, you’re ready to work with the Decision Tree Builder.

This is one of the tabs in your paid account, accessible through the Smart Steps website. It is not accessible through the app itself.

Tabs in the Client Portal are Frequently Asked Questions and Tutorials — Tabs in the Client Portal

For more information, see the Tutorial videos and the FAQs tab in your client portal.

To access these tabs, log in to your free Smart Steps account.

Thanks for using Smart Steps Mobile. May all of your decisions be easy ones!

Cindy Fisher, Ed.D.

President and CEO