Setting goals has become a tradition every New Year for millions of Americans and parents should take advantage of this to expand the learning of their children. Parents can make children part of this tradition by engaging them in conversations about the past year, the recent celebration and what they plan to do for the next year.
Even at a young age, children should be made aware that life planning can be done by setting achievable goals every year. But parents should also consider the age of the child when engaging them in planning.
Children love to be active participants so it must be a dialogue between a parent and the child. Instead of imposing goals on the child, why not allow them to make their own resolutions.
The resolutions need not be complicated, according to Eastern Arizona Courier. Toddlers can be coaxed to come up with their own list of things to do every day for the new year. It can be the simple act of brushing their teeth daily, eating a new vegetable every month or reading with the parent every day. The rewards system will work well to encourage the child to accomplish these resolutions.
Parents said children have different temperaments so refrain from setting very high expectations. What's more important is to help the child meet the goals they have set by providing a conducive environment for them.
If the child has resolved to read one page of a book every day then the parent can show support by setting a regular time for reading. Setting an ideal spot for the activity will also help.
Goal-setting is important not just for adults but even for children, as per Activity Village. Starting the habit early for kids will allow them to make it a habit throughout their life. What is vital is for parents to provide the needed impetus for the child to learn early on that it is important to set goals and to meet these goals, one day at a time.
