How to Help a Child Set Personal Goals
Helping your child set personal goals can help him achieve his dreams and teaches him skills that can last a lifetime. Whether your child longs to become star player on his soccer team or wants to achieve straight A's, you can help him succeed by role modeling and showing him how to set specific, measurable and achievable goals. According to Human Bean, a website devoted to child development, setting goals helps children develop a strong sense of purpose, provides focus and gives them motivation.
Instructions
Discuss the value of setting goals. Explain that setting goals will help your child work toward something she really wants or needs. Talk about the things she wants to accomplish -- don't decide for her and let her provide most of the input. You can help guide her through this process by asking targeted questions, such as "What do you think you'd like to learn to do" or "What would you really like to happen in the next three weeks (or six months or year)?" Help your child choose two or three goals that are relatively easy to achieve. Goals should be "SMART" -- S for savvy, or easy to understand, M for measurable, A for achievable, R for reachable and T for timed, says author Beverly K. Bachel in an article for Disney Family. Talk to your child about creating a realistic time frame for achieving these goals. Every goal should have a specific deadline. For example, if your child's goal is to save up enough money for a new bike, he may need to save his allowance for a year. A realistic goal would then be to save up enough money to buy a new bike by the end of the next year. Ask your child to write down a list of her goals, including a realistic time frame for achievement next to each goal. Tell her to hang up her list near her desk or on the refrigerator. Placing the goal list in a visible area will help reinforce her motivation and determination. Create a specific action plan for achieving each goal on your child's list, suggests the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. Work with your child to break down each goal into smaller, achievable components. Some goals might have only one or two steps, while others may require more. For example, if your child wants to save up for a bike, the first step in his goal plan might be to purchase a piggy bank or open a dedicated savings account -- with your help -- in which he can deposit his allowance each week. The second step might be to discuss ways your child can earn extra money, such as by performing small chores for neighbors. Encourage your child to visualize achieving her goal. Explain that even professional athletes use their imaginations to help them win races and overcome obstacles to their goals. Ask her to try to use all of her senses, such as hearing the crowds cheering as she scores the winning goal or feeling the wind in her hair as she rides through your neighborhood on her new bike. Discuss your child's progress on a regular basis. Ask him if he needs help if he's stuck on a certain part of his action plan. Brainstorm creative solutions to obstacles. Reward your child when she reaches her goal. Celebrating her successes helps cement the benefits of the goal-setting process and helps her stay motivated to achieve future goals.
