I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions. I make goals. I am a big believer in setting (and reaching) goals, and I want to instill this in my kids as well. Goals are not the be-all and end-all, they need to be flexible. But I also know that they can be amazingly effective.  

This speaks to be very true for entrepreneurs, both young and old. Goals are important when it comes to starting your own business. They can start off super simple, such as gathering books to research business ideas or getting your plan onto paper. This is something I can help with using my Start Your Own Business Family Unit Study! In this unit study, we cover ten topics that will help guide your child through important concepts and playful hands-on activities.

In the unit study, you will explore these 10 topics:

1: What is an Entrepreneur?
2: Kid-Preneurs
3: Innovation
4: Planning a Business
5: Branding & Logo Design
6: Making a Profit
7: Marketing
8: Great Businesses
9: ​Business Plan to Launch
10: Grand Opening!

You can view a sample of the Start Your Own Business Family Unit Study right here, or grab it as part of the Little Entrepreneurs Bundle. The bundle includes five unit studies that will help kick-start your child’s learning in business, finance, innovation, and this wonderful world of ours!

So, as we head into a New Year full of fresh starts and possibilities, I thought I would tell you a bit about how I help my children set goals. (And cue the story…)

5 Tips for Setting Goals with Children

In my most recent year of teaching, before I stayed home with my kids, I taught in an Intensive Support Classroom. I taught 14 incredible children with learning disabilities. It was one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my life (before staying home full-time, that is…).

I am not going to lie; my first few days teaching that class were very intense. Incredibly intense. I realized that I needed to set some goals for myself to get on track. Within a few weeks, I realized that wasn’t enough. I needed the children to set goals for themselves as well.

Learning to set goals is a tricky process. But we got there. By the end of the year, my students were setting goals independently and achieving some pretty awesome ones, too!

The success I saw with goal setting in the classroom was amazing, and I took what I learned and applied it at home with my own children too.

Here’s how I help children with goal setting:

1. Break Big Goals into Little Goals

Perhaps your child wants to start their own business. That is an amazing goal, but it could be a bit daunting. If you are using my Start Your Own Business Family Unit Study, we break that goal down into manageable steps. Your child will learn what an entrepreneur is, how to make a simple business plan, and prepare for a grand opening! Perhaps your child will open a driveway stand selling friendship bracelets with a catchy logo, such as Bethanys’s Best Buddy Bracelets.

2. Ensure Goals are Realistic

It’s also important to help children keep goals specific to things they have control over. For example, the goal of starting a Fortune 500 company at 10 years old may not be realistic. That would have several different variables to add in, BUT… your child does have control over how much they research. A better, more attainable goal would be to look into great businesses, what they have in common, and what steps they took to be successful.

3. Keep Goals Short-Term

This one is especially true for children.  We will focus on a small, attainable goal that kids can accomplish in about a week. For example, coming up with a price to sell their bracelets for. They will need to price out their materials, figure out how long it will take them to make each one and what that time is worth then come up with a realistic price. 

4. Build on Goals (Or Switch it Up!)

If your child’s goal is accomplished in one week, then… what’s next? Build on that goal! So, if your child’s goal was to think of a business plan, perhaps their next goal could be to get that plan onto paper with steps. Or maybe their next goal will be to learn how to market that plan! My kids’ interests change like the wind, so it only makes sense that their goals will too.

5. Celebrate Success!

When your child achieves a goal—whether their Big Goal or a smaller step along the way—celebrate! Tell your child how proud you are of them, and let them tell you how proud they are of themselves. Share their achievements with friends and family, have a celebratory dinner, or start a special family tradition to celebrate their efforts.

Bonus: Talk About YOUR Goals

It’s no surprise that little ones model what they see. If my children hear me talking about my goals and celebrating my successes, they will want to as well.

I hope that sharing my goals with my children and helping them set their own will inspire them to try new things and persevere with challenges. I also hope it provides them with many chances throughout the year to celebrate small successes and, of course, the big ones, such as starting their own businesses like Bethany’s Best Buddy Bracelets!

Start Your Own Business Family Unit Study

I encourage you to check out my Start Your Own Business Family Unit Study to help guide your children on how to start their very own business—from goal setting to a grand opening—through playful, hands-on activities. It is available on its own right here or as part of my Little Entrepreneurs Bundle.

To learn more about the Little Entrepreneurs Bundle, visit: https://shop.howweelearn.com/products/little-entrepreneurs-bundle

Thank you so much for reading, my friend! I hope this year is filled with success and celebration as you work toward achieving your goals.

xo
Sarah