Get Them Involved
Involve them in your own goal setting. Maybe you are redecorating a room. Have them research ideas with you, set steps together, and let them be apart of the process. Aside from gaining experience, they will see how following steps to achieve goals works. It allows them to see how it is relevant in gown up daily life, rather than another thing " kids " need to learn.
Be Realistic Children often underestimate how hard it can be to meet a goal, and then they get frustrated and discouraged when they fall short. Point out the challenges and the dedication it will require. The idea isn ' t to make the goal seem unattainable, but to steer them to make smaller more attainable goals to promote successful milestones.
Acknowledgement As your child begins to set goals and work toward them, don ' t forget the compliments. Say something like, " I ' m really impressed. You are doing a great job sticking to your goal!" The encouragement and recognition will help keep them on track without having to nag them.
Let Them Decide Let your kid decide what she wants to achieve so that they have a personal investment in their goal. Then you can help her make a plan. Some goals require more input from you. If learning to figure skate is your kid ' s dream, you ' re going to have to help her set and achieve her targets. " If parents find they ' re nagging or getting angry that their child isn ' t working hard enough to meet a goal, that ' s a signal they need to back off," warns Edward L. Coyle, PhD, a clinical psychologist in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Short Comings
Sometimes we call short of our goals. It happens. Review the goal together, talk about what worked and what didn’ t, and what solutions might work in the areas that needed work. Compliment them anyways, acknowledge their effort,“ I’ m so proud of how hard you worked” reinforces the things they did accomplish. Perhaps share some childhood memories. Relate to them on a level they can understand, and encourage them to keep going.
SMART Goals is a great way to break down a goal for success. For each goal your child sets, have them fill out the chart. It ' ll get them actively thinking about that is required to accomplish it and help you both check in on the status.
Be Specific: State exactly what you want to accomplish, write it down! Measurable: Can you track your process? How will you evaluate how far along you are on your way to achieving your goal Achievable: Is your goal reasonable? Break down your goal into achievable components. Define small steps by asking the Three W ' s.
" Who can help?" A teacher, parent, or friend, for example.
" What do I need to do?" Practice more, write out my times tables.
" When?" 20 minutes three times a week. Relevant: How does your goal tie into your values and responsibilities? Timely: Set a realistic time frame based on your ability to complete and accomplish things you need to do to get to your goal.