Parental responsibilities do not end with providing food, shelter and a safe environment for your child. Another equally important responsibility involves preparing your child for adulthood by teaching life skills that help her become independent, responsible and successful in whatever path she chooses to follow. Learning to set goals, and then working out a plan to achieve them, is a crucial life skill that helps set the stage for your child to become a successful adult.
Identification
Goal setting involves a series of coordinated steps that include thought, planning and action to achieve a desired outcome. Together, these steps provide multiple learning opportunities for your child. According to 4LifeSelfHelp.com, the thought process your child uses depends on his age and stage of cognitive development. In the beginning, your child learns better using a thought process consisting of only a few steps and a tangible result. As he becomes older, he can begin adding steps to the process that result in setting long-term, less tangible goals.
Function
Although the result is important, teaching your child about the process of thinking and planning is the most important function in goal setting for children, according to Achieve-Goal-Setting-Success.com. Understanding this process helps your child see how what she does today determines what will happen tomorrow.
Another important function of goal setting for children involves teaching the concept of personal accountability. When your child sets a goal and establishes a plan of action to achieve the goal, she becomes responsible for the result. While a positive result reinforces the importance of taking responsible action, a negative result can be a good teaching tool and help her avoid making the same mistakes again.
Process
The process of teaching your child to set and achieve goals begins at the end. You can help him identify a specific goal by asking not only what he wants to achieve, but also why he wants to achieve this goal. Ask him to describe this dream on paper, or if he is too young, write it for him using his own words.
Next, help him think about what he can do to achieve this goal. For example, if his goal is to fill his piggy bank, let him consider whether he will save his allowance, do extra chores around the house or work extra hard for the promise of a dollar for every "A" on his report card. Once he decides how he will achieve his goal, help him make a chart to track his progress.
Teach him to monitor his progress and stay motivated with a daily review of his goal description and action chart. If he appears to be falling off the wagon, step in to provide inspiration, motivation and help him decide if he needs to adjust his plan.
Considerations
While parental involvement is crucial in teaching your child to set and achieve goals, it is important to remember these are your child's goals and not your own. According to KidsHealth.org, a key aspect of teaching your child to set achievable goals is to make sure she understands that setting a goal to please someone else, including you, does not work.
Potential
As your child becomes older and his life becomes busier, opportunities to incorporate additional life skills into goal setting activities will emerge. Time management is an essential life skill you can add to goal setting that creates balance in his life and teaches him to handle multiple goals by setting priorities and time lines.
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