You have goals for your children, but they also have goals themselves. Over time, their goals will become more established, but that does not mean they have everything they need to succeed at them. You need to help them along the way. Here are six top tips to help your children reach their future goals.
Encourage Planning From the Beginning
As soon as they’re old enough, you need to encourage them to plan. This is something that is taught at a very young age, and is a skill that is developed over time. By the time it comes to going their own way, everything they do will be planned out with clear steps.
This is more than just saying I’m going to do X, Y and Z. You need to help your children plan the steps in detail, while keeping the details as loose as possible in case things go wrong.
Deal With Plans Going Awry
A lot of this is leading by example. You need to show that when plans go awry, it is not the end of the world.
The aim is to adapt plans and get yourself back on track. Your children will pick this skill up, and use that whenever their plans go a little off course. It helps them get back on track, and work towards their goals.
Teach About Setting the Right Goals
The goals need to be SMART goals. Every goal needs to be specific and measureable. They need to be timely, achievable but realistic. There’s no point setting the goal of becoming the president by the time they are 12.
That’s not realistic, and will get your children down when it doesn’t happen. Help them set goals that they can achieve, and have a clear deadline to meet.
Keep Them Motivated
It can seem like a tall order to reach a certain goal, no matter how realistic it is.
Motivation is lost over simple things, and you need to help your children stay on track. Find ways that will boost motivation and help them get back on track when everything seems to go wrong. You will need to lead by example, and not let your motivation suffer from one set-back.
Listen to Their Wants and Feelings
There’s no point having a specific goal in mind for your children. They may not want to follow your plan in life. Be open to listening to their feelings and what they want to do with their life.
It may seem silly to you, but it means a lot to them. They’re more likely to do something they want to, rather than something you’re forcing them to.
Support Them Every Step of the Way
Mistakes happen, and things go off track. It’s so important to have support.
Let your children know that you are there for them, and ask them how their plans are going. Don’t push for answers. They may not want to talk about mistakes right away.