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When children learn how to set goals and the process that is involved in achieving goals, confidence and self-esteem are improved. Conversely, when they understand the importance of setting goals, they expand their ability to focus and make better decisions.
At a very young age, children begin talking about what they’ll do when they grow up, which is ultimately the foundation of goal setting. Regardless of how young your child might be when you hear these words, offer encouragement while letting them know that with hard work and planning, they can achieve anything they desire in life.
Help Set An Easy Goal
When first starting to teach your kids about setting goals, it is helpful to refer to something they’ve already accomplished. Remind them of how excited they were with the final outcome and review the steps that were required to reach the goal. This will help them relate goal setting to something positive.
Help your child set a goal for something they want. Assist them in defining the necessary steps and establish a deadline for the goal to be met. This process will teach them thinking and planning skills and help them relate the connection between hard work, diligence, and commitment with a reward of achievement at the end.
Teach the Importance of Prioritizing
Help your child set short term and long-term goals. This will teach the importance of both prioritizing and patience. Explain the necessity of taking a step at a time in order to progress to the top. Setting the foundation can be the most difficult part and after that, each subsequent becomes possible. (No one started in kindergarten and graduated high school without first taking the necessary steps in the process.)
Let Them Lead
Once you’ve spent time teaching your children the basics, let them take the lead. Setting and fulfilling goals will ultimately need to align with their way of thinking, and their processes.
It is also crucial that you teach your kids that sometimes goals are more of a necessity, such as making good grades in school. The process of planning and devoting hard work are just as important, even though the work is probably not as fun as achieving a fun goal.
Watch, Track, and Suggest
During the process of working with your kids on goal setting, devote time for brainstorming sessions and working through weaknesses together. They will begin to recognize the importance of the step-by-step process and experience the satisfaction of accomplishment, as each step is marked complete. Provide encouragement and even helpful suggestions along the way.
They will learn that achieving a goal oftentimes requires changes in the initial plans, but by routinely tracking progress, they’ll learn valuable skills.
Thought Starters:
- Recalling Past Achievements as a Foundation for Goal Setting: Think about your child's previous accomplishments and how you can use these as examples to introduce the concept of goal setting. Reflect on how to connect these past successes to the positive feelings of achieving a goal.
- Guiding Your Child in Setting Their Own Goals: Consider how you can assist your child in setting a goal that is meaningful to them. Think about ways to help them break down this goal into manageable steps and establish a timeline for achieving it, teaching them the importance of planning and hard work.
- Teaching the Value of Prioritizing and Patience: Reflect on how you can help your child understand the difference between short-term and long-term goals. Think about ways to demonstrate the importance of prioritizing these goals and the patience required to achieve long-term objectives.
- Encouraging Independence in Goal Setting: Consider how you can transition from guiding your child in setting goals to letting them take the lead. Think about ways to support their independent goal-setting while still providing oversight and encouragement.
- Role of Parents in Monitoring and Supporting Goal Achievement: Reflect on how you can be involved in your child's goal-setting process without taking over. Think about ways to track their progress, offer constructive suggestions, and celebrate milestones along the way.
Suggested Questions To Ask Your Child:
- Can you think of a goal you've achieved in the past and how you felt after achieving it?
This question helps the child recall past successes as a foundation for understanding goal setting. It aligns with the article’s suggestion to link goal setting with positive outcomes from past experiences.
- What is something you really want to achieve, and what steps do you think we need to take to get there?
This question encourages the child to set a personal goal and start thinking about the planning process. It reflects the article's advice on helping children define goals and establish steps and deadlines, teaching them about planning and hard work.
- How can we tell the difference between what you want to achieve soon and what might take a bit longer to accomplish?
This question introduces the concept of short-term and long-term goals, teaching the child about prioritizing and the patience needed for more extended goals, as suggested in the article.
- What would be your plan for achieving this goal, and how can I help you stay on track?
This question allows the child to lead in setting and fulfilling their goal, aligning with the article's advice to let children take charge of the process while parents provide support and guidance.
- How do you think we should track your progress towards this goal, and how often should we check in on it?
This question is about the parent's role in monitoring and supporting the child's goal achievement. It encourages the child to think about progress tracking and allows the parent to offer suggestions and celebrate achievements, as recommended in the article.
