Family Fun: Setting Goals for the Semester
Kick off the back to school season by setting some meaningful goals with your kids! In a time where everything feels uncertain, goal setting can help give us a sense of direction, improve focus, and add fulfilment to our days. So, whether your kids will be back in the classroom or learning from home, setting goals as a family will bring some structure to the upcoming semester and set the tone for the rest of the year.
Pick some goals to work towards as a family, as well as individual goals for each family member. Maybe you want to cook more meals and cut back on takeout. Pick one day a week where you’ll cook together as a family. If you have young children under the age of 10, set up a sticker chart, and award them each time they complete a specific task like washing the vegetables. For older kids, let them take on more leadership roles. Put them in charge of choosing and researching the recipe for the week. Give them an opportunity to show initiative.
On an individual level, ask each child what their goal(s) are for the next month, and then choose a system that works to track progress. Also, don’t forget to ask your partner about their goals! It’s important that as parents, you also take time to continue investing in yourself. Make your goals specific, measurable and attainable. Break down the what and the why, the steps to achieve your goals, the obstacles that might crop up and how to tackle them.
By making goal-setting a collaborative effort, it’s a great family bonding activity and your children will learn invaluable skills along the way. It’s not just about results, but about the sense of growth and fulfilment you and your child(ren) feel by the end of it.
Goals don’t need to be limited to the classroom. Practical, everyday skills are invaluable, too, and can also be viewed as challenges to take on this semester. Since a lot of us are spending more time in the house, view this as an opportunity to learn essential life skills that can’t always be found in a textbook. Whether it’s a creative, fitness, or academic skill, it’s key to write down goals and set your intentions. We recommend taking the SMART approach, sit down with your kids and go through it together:
The SMART method:
Specific - be well defined and clear in your goal. Don’t be vague about it! Rather than ‘getting good grades at school,’ a more specific goal such as ‘getting a B in Maths by the end of the semester’ is a much more effective way of making your intentions clear and achievable for your child.
Measurable - are you able to track the progress you and your child will make and know exactly when your goals are met? It could be a logbook, video recordings or working towards a certain number of hours to show growth.
Attainable - your goal should be challenging but it also needs to be achievable. Be realistic and think about the resources available to you and your child’s ability. A 5-year-old will not become Mozart within a semester!
Relevant - is it meaningful to you, and more importantly to your child? Is it worthwhile to pursue this goal? Let your child choose and make sure it's something they’re invested in too.
Time-based - are you able to complete this goal in a realistic time frame? No one becomes an expert overnight. Break down the bigger goal into smaller steps, and recognise progress as success.
This method can apply to any goal. Here are just a few examples:
Learn a new recipe - cook a meal once a week together, improve techniques and food knowledge. Keep a logbook or photo diary to track progress. By the end of the month throw a dinner party together for the whole family.
Pick up a new sport - dedicate some time each week to play a sport or be active together. This could be baseball, soccer, basketball, or even a weekly family walk. Make it fun and get medals or MVP awards at the end of the semester!
Be book nerds! - As a family, start a bookclub. Create a reading list that you can all follow or specific to each family member. Hold meetings each week to present your text to one another.
Study Skills - is one of your children studying for a spelling test? The SAT? Get the whole family involved by choosing a vocab word of the week, and set a goal for everyone to use that word in a sentence by the end of the week. Points for every time you use it!
This process doesn’t have to be intensive or strict. Have fun with it! Use games or real life examples to make it interactive and exciting - especially for younger kids. It doesn’t always have to be about textbooks and stuffy lectures. More importantly, it’s not just about completing a goal or ticking a box. By setting goals with your kids, it develops other basic skills such as following directions, asking for help, problem-solving and independence. All incredibly important aspects to personal development. So, we challenge you to sit down with your kids today and set some goals that you can achieve together this semester. Good luck!
