Setting goals with my kids is fun! My 9-year old reminded me recently that we still had to do our New Year’s “revolutions.” I laughed when she made the pronunciation mistake, but then I thought maybe she had a point! So I checked the dictionary: Revolution (n.) A total or radical change; as, a revolution in one’s circumstances or way of living.
It’s never too late to make a radical change in our lives, especially if it’s for the better. Although I make it a habit of setting personal and professional goals for myself on a regular basis, I also like to involve my kids in the process. I’ve done it since they were too young to even write their names, so that it would hopefully become an ingrained habit by the time they really needed the skill. Following are some of the fun methods I’ve used to help my kids set goals. I hope these inspire you to give them a try or come up with your own.
Editor’s Note: This article is one in a series of empowerment and inspiration pieces brought to you by Colgate
DREAM PILLOWS
These are easy and family friendly. If your kid is old enough to draw, he can make a dream pillow! The idea is for each of you to draw your dreams or goals on a pillowcase and lay your head on them every night. Isn’t that a nice way to end your day, focusing on what you’d like to achieve?
How to do it: Use old pillowcases or buy inexpensive ones—one for each member of the family who wants to participate in setting goals or sharing dreams. Start by asking each of your kids what they’d like to accomplish that year. Young kids will need some prompting. Give them examples of things you want first and try to be as specific as possible. Then, using fabric markers, draw something that symbolizes your dream on your pillowcase. Want to fly to France? Draw the Eiffel Tower and an airplane. Try not to be self-conscious: it’s not about your drawing skills, but having fun with your kids while you all express your desires and unleash your creativity.
Editor’s Note: This article is one in a series of empowerment and inspiration pieces brought to you by Colgate
My kids and I had a blast doing this one when they were 3 and 6. Of course their dreams involved visiting Disney World, while mine were about getting ahead professionally. Five years later, they have a better grasp of what goal-setting really means. But it was a great start.
Read Related: Dreaming & Doing: How I Keep My New Year’s Resolutions
VISION BOARDS
You can do this one when they’re a bit older and can manage scissors and glue. There is really no wrong way to do a vision board.
How to do it: Use a large poster board for each member of the family and on it, post images, phrases and symbols that will help visualize their goals and the steps required to make them a reality.
Cut out inspiring pictures from old magazines, write down motivational quotes and paste them on the poster board. This is for you and your kids, so any way you want to do this is fine as long as it portrays what you want to achieve. Once you’re all done with your boards, display them in a place where you will see them every single day. Talk about the dreams and goals with your kids regularly. Tell them what you’re doing to reach yours and ask them how they’re doing with theirs.
Editor’s Note: This article is one in a series of empowerment and inspiration pieces brought to you by Colgate
My kids surprise me by making their own vision boards from time to time, without any prompting. It’s interesting for me to see how their aspirations change as they grow and evolve.
MOTIVATIONAL SCRAPBOOK
The idea here is to build on the vision board concept, on an ongoing basis. Since I’m divorced, my kids live in two households. So by using a motivational scrapbook, their dreams and goals can commute with them. I usually travel with my gratitude diary, which helps me stay focused on the positive. In it is also a collage of inspirational material I find in magazines, books and by observing life in action.
How to do it: You can go the most affordable route and use a simple composition book or spend a little more and get a proper scrapbook at a crafts store. The idea is for your kids—or for you—to keep adding motivational photos, quotes, or just anything that you can glue on to a page, for inspiration. My eldest, now 12, likes to share her scrapbook with me, and talk about everything she wants to accomplish.
Editor’s Note: This article is one in a series of empowerment and inspiration pieces brought to you by Colgate
The bottom line is that by sharing our dreams in fun and creative ways, as a family, we help our children master the skill of goal-setting. And when they grow up, maybe they won’t be afraid of making their own personal “revolutions.”
Lorraine C. Ladish is Editor-in-Chief of Mamiverse. You may follow her @lorrainecladish and @mamiverse.
