Goal Setting For Children - 5 Steps To Making It Fun By Suzie McDermott At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Goal setting for kids is all about making sure your kids have fun. When kids have fun they actively seek out the experience again and again. We have all heard it a thousand times before – “just one more time, please mommy/daddy!!” This is the catch phase of kids who are having fun.

When children are bored they tune off, fidget about and drift off into their own little fantasy world that is filled with adventure and fun. Follow the five steps mentioned below and your kids will be too wrapped up in achieving their real adventures to go into the world of fantasy.

1) Let them learn from their mistakes without criticism. Criticism deflates fun, while support understanding and encouragement help to support a fun learning environment. It is from our mistakes that our greatest learning comes from. By viewing our mistakes as something to learn from instead of something that requires punishment is one the biggest advantages we can give our kids in life.

It teaches them that mistakes are a very normal part of learning and achieving our goals. This in turn will help them to actively pursue their goals as they grow up without fearing mistakes. Instead they will have the confidence to overcome many of the obstacles that life will throw at them.

2) Always focus on the positive. When our kids make a mistake focus on what the mistake has taught them. Use it as a positive. When they become disheartened point out what they have done that is good. And remember acknowledging that something is hard is also focusing on the positive. It lets your kids know that it’s normal for almost everything to be hard and awkward at first.

3) Join in on their excitement and enthusiasm for the project. This is a sure fire way to heighten the experience for our kids and double the fun. If you are genuinely excited and happy to be joining them (but not taking over) in their quest they will feel empowered. And as a side effect you will feel a greater connection to your kids.

4) Remember the journey is just as important as the end result. Although it’s important to know the end result when goal setting for children it’s not the only important component. See the journey as a series of mini goals that are needed to achieve the end result.

Reward you children for achieving each mini goal with plenty of praise and encouragement for what they have achieved so far. After all goal setting for our children should be just as much about creating happy lasting memories for our kids and ourselves as it is about reaching the finish line.

5) Tackle your mentoring role as an adventure not as a chore. Take the attitude of the explorer and adventurer and you will begin to find ways to make the whole experience of goal setting fun and exciting for your kids. This attitude will also help you to see the whole experience from your kids’ point of view. You will be amazed at how big of a difference a small change in perception can make to your whole outlook. And your kids will thank you for it with plenty of excitement and determination to get the job done.

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