Setting Goals With Your Kids

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New Year's is a time that many of us reflect on the year past and look to the new year and what we’d like to accomplish.  Setting goals for yourself, and helping your children set some as well, can seem overwhelming.  However, children can learn the valuable life lesson by setting goals from a young age.

Here are some tips to make it easier to set goals with young ones in your home:

SMART goal setting system. Consider using this system to make sure you’re setting the right goal for you and your family.

• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Realistic
• Timely

Use forms like this one to make it simpler. 

Keep it simple.  With young children short and simple goals are best.  Make their bed, read every day, etc.  It is also great to set goals to help with their development.  Using our free developmental screener found here will help you know what milestones to help your child reach.

Make it visual.  Children can make their own vision board like the one found here.  Making it visual will make it fun for them, and they will be more likely to work towards that goal.  You could also make a sticker chart.  Children mark off when they accomplish a step towards their goal.

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Be encouraging.  You may end up doing a lot of reminding for your children to work on their goals.  They may become discouraged if it’s not going the way they want.  Encourage them to continue trying, or find alternative ways to accomplish their goal.

Set rewards.  Set rewards periodically for your children while they are working on their goals.  Something as simple as they pick the movie for family movie night or a special outing to a park of their choice.

What are some ways that you’ve made goals work with your children? 

-Jodi