Why should a child learn to set certain goals in life and achieve them? Here are two reasons:
1. Goal setting helps to build discipline and determination, makes character stronger
2. By achieving new results, acquiring useful skills, the child accumulates a useful baggage of knowledge and skills for himself/herself
Children who have experience in achieving goals will be more successful. It doesn't matter whether the goal is to learn 3 poems in a week or to save up for a bicycle. Setting goals is good for the sake of the process.
How to set goals: practical steps
- The goal is close and clear to the child
It is important that he himself wants to achieve the goal and has chosen it, then he will have a strong motivation.
- Achievable goal
Here you need to take into account the character and abilities of your child. The goal should not be too easy, but it is better to set the bar a little higher.
- Clear positive wording
Not "I will become an artist", but "I will learn to draw cartoon characters". Not "I will stop being shy with my classmates", but "I will learn to be friends with my classmates".
The child must be clear about his or her goal.
- Specific deadlines for implementation
A goal without a specific deadline can take years to achieve. Therefore, it is better to formulate a goal, for example: "By this summer, I will have saved up for a bicycle.
- Structure of goal attainment
Help your child break down the process of reaching a goal into small steps and plan for a year, a month, a week, a day. If he or she is just learning to set goals, choose a short time frame, such as a week.
- Visualizing the path to the goal
It is good if the child can visually see the plan and the steps of its implementation. It can be organized in the form of a table: goal, date, planned result. Or mark on a calendar the days when he/she did something for his/her goal.
- Analyzing what's going on
Celebrate and encourage positive results. Analyze failures and think together with the child how to improve the situation. Regularly summarize the achievement of a goal.
- Parental support
Treat mistakes and failures constructively and optimistically. Your child is just beginning to acquire one of the most important qualities of successful people - the ability to set goals and achieve them. Your parental support is very important.
- Preparation of resources
If resources will be needed to accomplish a goal, find them. It could be a piggy bank, sports uniforms, a training course - anything. For example, if a child has set a goal to learn to speak Russian, you could buy a year's worth of tuition. This way, it is more likely that the child will achieve his or her goal.
What goals might be of interest to the child?
Take a look at our list and ask your child if any of these are of interest to them:
- learn a foreign language
- travel
- paint
- get a dog
- play a musical instrument
- excel in sports
- chess
- camaraderie
- code
- save up
- to earn and acquire what he dreams of
Just don't insist - let him or her decide for themselves. It is our job as parents to inspire, encourage and support our children. If it is difficult for your child to determine what dreams he or she can turn into goals, help him or her. Suggest topics and discuss together what he or she might be interested in.
