Learning Center

Education insight for parents

Set goals for success

Talk to your child to find out what they want to achieve

There are some days when we feel defeated, when we just want to give up — both for ourselves, and our children. But we should always remember what the lovable and quirky Charlie Brown once said: “Life can be tough. Be strong.” This is simple advice, and it is a lesson for anyone who has ever considering quitting. But how exactly can we be “strong” as we start yet another school year in a pandemic?

Children face many challenges every day, from getting a good score on the upcoming math test, to making a new friend, or even standing up to a bully. And this school year, kids are having to adjust to A LOT. (Think: Going back to in-person school, relearning classroom etiquette, getting acquainted with new safety procedures, relearning how to study or take notes, etc.)

All these changes can stir up anxiety and fear, and make your child question themselves. Kids might catch themselves thinking, “What if I fail? What will others think of me?” When the challenges seem too great, the question comes creeping in … “Should I just give up?”

Giving up can seem like the only option at times, but why? Wanting to quit is often because we don’t know what success looks like, or we can’t see how to get there. Knowing how to set our minds on success is critical, and this is why defining success is so important.

If you want your child to succeed this school year, then teach them how to define success. Hint: It comes down to setting goals. Teaching your child how to set goals, and how to change their goals if needed, will set them on a path to success.

Just as important as setting goals is ensuring that those goals are achievable in a reasonable period. If your child is a C student who wants to be an A student, they may need to become a B student on their way to those A’s. Celebrating B’s will incentivize the effort needed to achieve those A’s. Remember, a New Year’s resolution to go to the gym twice a week is much more likely to succeed than a resolution to go every day. Going twice a week might then lead to a change in the goal to three times a week. Achieving the first goal will make success with the new goal more likely. Success breeds confidence, and confidence breeds additional success.

by Patrick McNamara

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