How to Teach Children to Work Hard for Their Goals

In this day of instant gratification through the Internet and TV, and the wealth of multimedia gadgets available to our children, teaching children to work hard to reach goals can be a difficult endeavor for parents. Formative attitudes of responsibility can be quickly replaced by a sense of entitlement due to peer pressure or family situations. Goal setting and motivation don't come naturally for every child and must be taught by the parents. Teaching children to work hard for their goals begins with setting a good example as a parent and providing the template to teach children how to succeed through hard work.

Instructions

    • 1

      Teach your child about goal-setting. Goal-setting begins with explaining to your child what is a reasonable goal. For example, your child might want to get an A on his math test next week. Help him define a set of steps to obtain this goal. This could include studying for 15 minutes each night for the four nights leading up to the test. The night before, set a goal to study for a half-hour as final test preparation. The step-by-step approach to reaching a goal will help your child understand that perseverance is important.

    • 2

      Observe what motivates your child, and capitalize on this as part of your lesson on how to work hard to achieve goals. Motivation begins with wanting something, whether that motivation lies in trying to please someone or obtain something by hard work. Encourage your child to really think why he wants something. Help him understand that motivation will help him succeed in reaching his goals. For example, offer to pay half the cost of the new bike your child wants if he's motivated enough to earn the other half.

    • 3

      Reinforce your child's attempts to work toward achieving his goals with praise. Positive encouragement from parents can help a child who is concerned with making mistakes. As adults, we sometimes forget the uncertainties of being a kid. Mistakes seem huge to kids. Children don't have the maturity to realize that life will throw us all bumps in the road. Parental praise will teach your child that you are looking at his attempts at hard work, not only at whether he is successful. Include an explanation that criticism is not always negative and should be used as a learning tool to succeed.

    • 4

      Have your child write down his goals in a notebook. Include short-term goals, such as passing that math test, as well as longer term goals, like buying a new bike. Help your child understand that goal setting is a regular part of life. An easy concept for kids to understand would be comparing goals as a personal "to do" list.

    • 5

      Let your child make his choices within the frames of moderate parental guidance. Just like everyone, kids want to feel empowered by making their own choices, both good and bad. Guide your child gently with encouragement about how hard work and commitment will help him reach his goals.

    • 6

      Emphasize "do your best" to your child. Ask your child to apply himself with all his effort to his schoolwork, chores and tasks. After a few days, discuss his changed perceptions of hard work. Include in your discussion how achieving happiness with himself lies in applying his best effort to everything he does. This will help establish a foundation for a good work ethic, something that will help your child throughout his life.

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