It is never too early to get our kids thinking about goals. In my opinion, to live a life fulfilled, we have to at least have an idea of where we want to go. Because we will need a road map on how to get there. It doesn’t just happen magically. By listening to the Holy Spirit, seeking God’s will and harnessing the power of the Holy Spirit, we can do anything. I want to teach my children early on that life is short, God gave us a purpose and in order to fulfill it, we need to be in tune with our Savior. Quiet time, praying and writing down what we have in our hearts is a great start.
In all honesty, it never occurred to me to sit down with my kids and write down goals for their school year, until I came across an article last week . I have a list of all their curriculum, character qualities we will study, verses to memorize, but the act of determining with them how this will happen is key. My kids are 10 and 7, so I am not going to be expecting a lot, just some discussion around what their desires and hopes are. For me, this is more of a relationship builder, a way for them to see I care about what is in their heart, and helping them figure out how to grow that.
How to Get Started
I can’t wait to take them each on their own “coffee date” to get the year started and just see where there head is. To get them excited for what the year holds. We will head out to a local coffee shop with their writing journals for a quick treat and some one on one time with me. Beforehand, I have been jotting notes and praying over where God wants me to lead our conversation. The idea is not to overwhelm or stress them out. It is to excite them of the possibilities before them with a life plan. It is a time to dream and put them in touch with what God has created them to be.
Each of my children receives a new a writing/drawing type of journal to kick off the school year. I will have them bring it and on the first page just write down 1-3 goals after we talk about what they want to accomplish for the year. We are going to focus on things like scripture memory, specific character qualities and at least one academic goal they would like to achieve.
I think the key here is just to let them talk and for me to listen. To be more of a facilitator to lead them down a path and help them take ownership. My sons goal cracked me up, “to have fun”. I love it! So, we talked about what that looks like, broke it down into what having fun for him means. It was so enlightening to hear what he said. It is a great opportunity to get to know your children deeper, to see what dreams and desires the Lord put inside of them.
Once we determine their thoughts for the year, I will help them break that down into quantifiable goals. For my son, fun is in the form of field trips. So I said, “Okay to have lots of field trips, we will need to get our math and reading done first thing, so we can get out the door. What do you think would help us achieve that?” He response was to get his work done, have a good attitude, etc. Depending on your child, you can then break that down into areas that you know might help with a little improvement.
Sadie Robertson has a new line of Back to School items that are absolutely wonderful! If you haven’t finished getting your Back to School supplies you should really check them out. My daughter loves her Sadie Robertson line of school supplies we got from DaySpring last week. In fact, she has had them out, pouring over them every night before bed, planning and scheming on how she will use each for her school days.
I just love the idea that each time she opens her journal, she will be reminded of her worth. I adore her beautiful smile and if she is told that her smile will change the world each and every day, what do you think that message will do for her? I am so thankful for this great line of products and just had to tell you about it!
What do you do to start off your school year on the right foot?
