Great Goals

Kids......oh how they grow...

I have really been thinking about my kids and how fast they are growing up. I feel like my time with them, my time to shape and mold them into the great people I want them to become, is so short. The task feels overwhelming at times and I worry about falling short....about failing them. This parenting job is not one I am willing to take lightly.

I have very high hopes and dreams for my children ~ as I'm sure most parents do. I see, so very clearly, their potential. 

I worry about sending them out into the world. I worry about Jr. High School and all the trials it can bring, especially for girls. Girls can be so catty, vindictive and hurtful. Throw that in with raging hormones and you have a recipe for disaster.

I so badly want my girls to be self confident, self assured, focused, motivated people. I want them to have a strong sense of there own ability's, talents, likes and dislikes. I want them to be comfortable and confident in their own skin. 

I do not want them to be "sheep" and simply follow the crowd because they have no idea what else to do or who they are.

I want them to know the value of hard work and the pay off that comes from it. 

I want them to have a secure, strong family and home that they can always turn to and rely on. 

I want them know the feeling of personal achievement and take pride in what they can accomplish and know there are NO limits to what they can do.

So how does one go about shaping and molding these tender young minds.....gently leading them to greatness?? Isn't that just the question of the day!? 

Lately, I have been reading and studying about how to raise children to prevent all sorts of "issues" through out their growing up years. I personally believe there is not one big answer, no secret key, no magic wand or perfect recipe for success. I feel like it is many small things that can make all the difference. Put the small things together and great things can be achieved.

We have started a goal chart, if you will, with Isabelle. We sat down and had a long chat explaining what exactly a personal goal was. Every Sunday afternoon she comes up with and writes down 2 goals for herself, for that week. It's only 2 and she can easily focus on those two things every day. She is really starting to catch on now and it's wonderful to see. She comes up with them on her own usually suggesting them to me sometime before Sunday is even here saying : Hey mom I have and Idea for one of my goals for next week!" She's starting to be able to look at herself and figure out something she would like to improve on.

Every night we have a little chat and decide how she did that day. She get's a super sparkly sticker if she did perfectly, a normal barbie sticker if she did ok and an X if she didn't do good at all. She is the one who makes the final decision as to what she thinks she deserves for the day and I don't argue with her about it. She is very fair and honest with herself. I love seeing the sense of accomplishment and satisfaction on her face at the end of a day when she's done really great. You can see she's so proud of herself, as she picks out a sparkly sticker.

Some of her goals over the last little while have been:

~practice my reading everyday for 10 min.

~play nicely with my sister

~Do what I am asked the FIRST time I am asked

~wipe, flush and wash my hands everytime I go to the bathroom

~practice riding my scooter around the loop everyday to get better balance

I LOVE the goals she made this week. I was so proud of her for coming up with them on her own. They are bang on and she really tries hard throughout the day.

1. Don't argue or complain 

2. Don't say NO to Mom and Dad. 

She always like to draw a little picture ~ of course, cause she's Isabelle ~ In this one she is shown saying "YAS" (yes) instead of no, like goal #2 says. 

Making personal goals, big or small, and actually ACHIEVING them leads to great things. It helps develop trust in yourself, you then in turn gain self confidence. When you are a self confident person you want to grow and achieve so you set goals to better yourself and the cycle continues. You feel proud of yourself and what you can accomplish. Making, setting and achieving goals is a great tool to success.   It is a very good habit to get into. 

It provides focus and purpose to everyday life. It helps one to continually grow, progress and evolve as a person.....always moving forward, always learning.

I have noticed a huge change in Isabelle and myself over the last month or so that we have been doing this. She is such a good girl with a good heart and I am so proud of her! 

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