New Year, New Family Goals - Setting Expectations For Your Children

New Year's resolutions are something many people make to start off a new year doing something they want or should be doing

. These resolutions do not have to be personal goals they can also be for your children and family. When life gets busy goals can get left behind and the beginning of a new year is the perfect time to set new goals and stick to them. Parents should relay the goals to their children so they will understand what is expected of them. The only reason to keep the goals private is if the children are too young to understand the expectations for them and a new year.

The expectations should first be thought out by the parent and be reasonable. For example, an unreasonable goal for a child would be for them to play a complete symphony on the piano by June and the piano lessons have not started yet. It is a great confidence booster for children to be aware of expectations and meet them. Having expectations for your children that most likely cannot be reached will not benefit the parent or the child. It's also important to keep the specific children in mind when setting goals. All children are different so the expectations for children even in the same family do not have to be the same.

The goals should then be written down in a way your children will understand. Next, the expectations should be explained to the children so they will feel included and be able to realize what is expected of them. Talk to the children about the goals and how it will benefit them or the family. Explain to them these goals are not being set to punish them, they are being set for positive reasons such helping the family get more accomplished, or advancing some of their own skills. If there is a "prize" at the end of the period or year, tell them about it now.

Some ideas for goals for children can be to become more involved in household chores, getting outside for more exercise, eating healthier snacks, and improving homework habits and school grades. It will be important for the parents to remain supportive of these expectations throughout the year to show the children their commitment. It would not be fair for the child if they are supposed to be eating healthy snacks after school and there are not any healthy options available. Children and families can benefit from setting expectations for a new year, just give it a try.

by: Monica Jones

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