Goal Setting with Children

The following is an article I wrote for the Activity/Resource book that is part of the Five CD Positive Discipline Workshop: How to Become the Parent You Always Wanted to Be While Helping Empowering Your Children to Feel Capable, Confident, and Competent. It is long, and contains lots of helpful information.

Track Six: Goal Setting with Children

One day my son said to me, “Mom, I wish you had helped me set more goals for myself?” I was a bit shocked because I thought I had tried to get him to set goals and that he just didn’t want to. If you read that last sentence closely, you’ll see the problem. Helping him set goals is very different from trying to get him to set goals. My way of trying to get him to set goals included lectures and nagging.

Put yourself in a child’s place. What do you feel like doing when an adult lectures or nags at you? Probably the same as most children—resist and rebel.