Parenting
HELP YOUR CHILDREN TO SET AND
ACHIEVE GOALS
T
here is a lot to be said about
the value of setting and
achieving goals, and many of
us adults, do so on a regular
basis, but how often do we help our
children to set and achieve their own
goals? Research shows that goal
setting can help children gain a sense
of discipline and the internal drive, it
takes to stay motivated to complete
the goals they have set for themselves.
In this article, I share some key things to
remember when helping your children
to effectively set their own goals.
Start early
Do not wait until your children are
in secondary school and facing life
changing
external
examinations,
before you start talking to them about
the importance of setting goals.
Goal setting can start from as early
as kindergarten. Sit with your child as
soon as they can understand in simple
terms, what it means to set a goal
and explain to them the importance
of having goals. Work with them on
setting their own goals. It could be
as simple as, being able to ride their
bike without training wheels, by the
beginning of the summer holidays.
Remember that goals should be
SMART;
Specific,
Measurable,
Attainable, Relevant and Timely.
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Share your own goals with
your children who take action consistently, actually
achieve their goals.
In order to help your children,
understand the importance of setting
goals, take time to share your own
goals with them. The amount of details
you reveal will depend on the age of
the child and the appropriateness of
the information being shared. Talk to
them about past goals that you have
set and how you achieved them. Be
very specific about the steps you took
and don’t forget to let them know what
you did to celebrate achieving your
goals. Plan the rewards and
celebrations
Help your children to plan
their action steps
Setting goals is great but nothing
beats action. Help your children plan
each action step that is necessary
in achieving their goals. Break the
action steps down into as small steps
as possible and build in, specific time,
for evaluation and self reflection. It is
important to stress to your children
that, they may fail or falter, but the
important thing about achieving goals
is that, they must keep going. This is
also a good time to talk to them about
the importance of grit and resilience.
Help them to understand that many
people have goals, but only the few,
Class Time
One of the best part of setting and
achieving goals, is the reward we
receive at the end. This reward can
be the feeling of accomplishment
and also the recognition, that may
come from achieving a particular goal,
however, it is also important especially
for children, to plan for rewards and
celebrations, that they will enjoy at the
end of al l the hard work. This could be
a trip to an amusement park, a family
picnic, a toy or gadget they have
always wanted etc. These rewards do
not have to all be left until the end,
but can also be used to celebrate
important milestones on the road to
achieving their goals.
There are many benefits to be had,
from teaching your child how to set
and achieve goals, from an early age.
It is hoped that, goal setting, will help
children become more independent,
organised and consistent. Goal setting
in children can also have the added
benefit of developing your children’s
confidence, as they continue to set
and achieve various goals throughout
their lives.