Kids & Company Blog

How to Help Your Children Set and Achieve Goals in 2025

As we step into 2025, it's the perfect time to teach children how to set and achieve their own goals. Whether they’re working towards a new skill, improving a favourite hobby, or reaching for something they’re passionate about, learning how to set clear, achievable goals helps children develop confidence and resilience. By guiding them through the process and helping them break down their goals, we’re giving them a valuable tool they can use throughout their lives. In this blog, we’ll explore how to use the 5Ws—Who, What, Where, When, and Why—to help children stay motivated and focused as they work towards their goals. Let’s make 2025 the year they learn how to turn their dreams into reality!

What: Defining the Goal

What is the goal? Help your child set specific, measurable, and achievable goals. For younger children, this might mean focusing on simple yet impactful goals, like learning to tie their shoes or completing a small craft project. For example, instead of saying, “I want to get better at drawing,” encourage your child to aim for something specific, like “I want to draw a picture of my favourite animal by the end of the week. By breaking down goals into actionable steps, they become more manageable and less intimidating.

What steps are needed? 

Once the goal is set, work together to divide it into smaller, actionable steps. For the drawing example, the steps could include picking an animal, gathering art supplies, practicing basic shapes, and adding colours. This approach not only makes the goal less overwhelming but also teaches children how to approach challenges systematically.

When: Setting a Timeline 

Helping your child set a timeline is about more than just assigning a deadline—it’s about creating a roadmap that leads to the finish line. Start by discussing when they’d like to achieve their goal and work backward to set smaller, manageable milestones along the way. A good example of outlining this roadmap for young children is by creating a countdown. Transform the timeline into something visual and exciting. A countdown calendar or a sticker chart can make the process more engaging. 

Celebrate Checkpoints: Highlight the importance of mini-deadlines by making them moments to celebrate. If the goal is to complete a craft project, celebrate when they’ve gathered materials or finished a specific part. Acknowledging progress keeps the motivation alive. Schedule regular check-ins to celebrate achievements and address challenges, teaching them the value of reflection and adaptation. It is important to remember that life happens, and sometimes timelines need adjusting. Use this as an opportunity to teach adaptability. If your child is feeling stressed or encounters unexpected challenges, sit down together to reassess the timeline. This helps them learn that adjusting the plan doesn’t mean giving up.

Finish Line Excitement: Encourage your child to imagine what it will feel like to achieve their goal. Whether it’s hanging their drawing on the fridge or sharing their craft with family, visualizing success can make the journey more rewarding. Let them know you’ll be there to celebrate their big moment together.

Where: Creating the Right Environment 

Where your child works on their goal can play a big role in how they stay focused and inspired. Help them create or find spaces that feel special and motivating. These will be places that spark their imagination and energy. Sometimes, goals take place in a specific environment, and identifying where this is is also part of working towards achieving their goals. For example, if your child wants to learn to make a basket, this location could be a basketball court at the nearby park! 

Once the right location is identified, it’s important to decide when they will spend time there to work on their goal. Scheduling regular times to visit these locations ensures that they have dedicated moments to focus, practice, and build momentum. Whether it’s setting aside time after school or carving out a weekend session, having a set routine gives your child something to look forward to and helps them stay committed to their goal.

Help your child find or create spaces that support working on their goals, whether it’s a quiet study area or a creative zone for hobbies!

Why: Finding Motivation

Why is this goal important to your child? Ensuring they understand why a goal is important is key to building motivation. Encourage your child to connect the goal to their personal interests, values, or long-term dreams. When they see how a goal aligns with something they care about, it becomes more than just an abstract task—it turns into something meaningful. 

Why should they keep going? Teach resilience by showing how setbacks are a natural part of growth and how perseverance leads to success. When things get tough, it’s easy for your child to feel discouraged, but this is when understanding why they want to achieve their goal will help them push forward. By demonstrating that perseverance and resilience lead to progress, you can instill a mindset that sees challenges as a natural part of success. Remind them that every time they get back up after a mistake or difficulty, they’re one step closer to achieving their goal. This foundation of motivation will help them stay committed, even when the journey feels tough.

 

Who: Identify key supporters 

Having a strong support system can make all the difference. Encourage them to identify people who can help along the way. These can be mentors, teachers, friends, or family members who can offer guidance, encouragement, and accountability. These are the individuals who can provide advice, celebrate milestones, and help your child stay on track when things get challenging. Having these key supporters in place can provide reassurance and motivation.

However, it’s equally important to give your child the space to own their goals. While you’re there to offer support and guidance when needed, allow them the freedom to make decisions, face challenges, and learn from their own experiences. Let them try, fail, and try again—this is where they will build confidence and resilience.

Put it all together!

Goal setting doesn’t have to be overwhelming—in fact, it can be an exciting adventure for both you and your child. By focusing on the “What,” “When,” “Where,” “Why,” and “Who,” you’ll equip your child with the tools they need to dream big, work hard, and succeed. Remember, the journey is just as important as the destination. Celebrate each step, and watch your child’s confidence soar!   

Posted on: Tuesday January 7th, 2025

Posted by: Kids & Company