With a new year around the corner, December is the perfect time to think about fresh goals and exciting opportunities!
For children, setting goals can be a great way to give them things to look forward to, guide them towards healthy habits, and spark their motivation. At the same time, it’s important to let kids know that their value doesn’t depend on how much they achieve. Here’s how to strike that balance of growth and self-acceptance when introducing kids to great goal setting!
Why is Goal Setting So Important for Kids?
Kids thrive with a foundation of structure and encouragement behind them! Setting goals with them helps:
- Build their confidence: Knowing they’re reaching milestones (no matter how small!) reinforces their belief in their abilities. Choose small, achievable goals you know they can reach!
- Promotes responsibility: Also choosing larger habits and projects teaches children about commitment and accountability, while getting them excited to feel like a big kid with big tasks.
- Encourages a growth mindset: having goals to work towards in the new year helps kids learn the power of their own mind when they put in effort and have perseverance.
Our Top 10 Tips: Goal-Setting with Kids for the New Year
Ready to set great kid-friendly goals with children but don’t know where to start? Here’s how:
- Choose the right time. We like to bring up goals after a family meal, during a cozy evening, or when kids are finishing up a creative or indoor activity.
- Make the environment positive. Turn on some light music in the background, pass around snacks, or cozy up with a warm drink to boost kids’ subconscious positivity! We also like to bring out colorful markers, stickers, and paper.
- Start with a collaborative approach. Ask open-ended questions like “what are some new things you’d like to learn?” and “what do you want to spend more time working on next year?” to start gently guiding them towards fun, achievable goals.
- Talk about yourself, too. If they’re hesitant to open up, share a few of your own goals to help them see the excitement that can come with new goals!
- Use categories. If they’re having trouble finding goals, re-approach the conversation by asking them “what do you want to spend more time on when it comes to staying active/being creative/learning something new/being kind to others?”
- Start small, and help them get specific. Break down their big-picture aspirations into bite-sized steps! For example, help a kid who wants to “read more” set a target to read one new book every month.
- Write it down! Help children track their chosen goals (and remember them!) by writing them down with colorful markers and stickers on a poster, planner, or journal.
- Focus on joy. We like to emphasize that goals are about growth and excitement—not changing or fixing. Remind them that they are loved for who they are, and not just for what they do.
- Set up check-ins. Encourage children to look forward to future days of celebration by writing down times to revisit goals in the new year and keep them on track.
- Make goal-setting a family tradition. As kids come to love working on their goals, boost their confidence by bringing in the whole family. Break out the snacks and let everyone share their biggest wins every month!
