If mind and body are aligned we have the force of the universe behind us”
(P.410 Evolve your brain).
It is another new year and an excellent time to set goals with your child. It is easier to work together when you both know where you want to go – when you can see the goal ahead of you quite clearly and the steps you need to reach it. Clear and exciting reading, writing, or Maths goals help you both work hard together for as long as it takes to master them.
Set inspiring and powerful reading, writing, or Math goals with your child. A goal you both want is one you will both work hard to achieve. Inspiring and powerful goals make you both feel excited and inspired to work together.
Set reading, writing, or Math goals with your child that are:
- Very clearly described and believable
- Ambitious, exciting and important.
- Requiring some effort from your child but achievable
- For the whole child – intellectual, physical, emotional, spiritual
Tips to think about when you set reading, writing, or Math goals with your child:
Use ‘What if’ questions and dare to aim higher than you have before for your child. Speculate about ‘what if’ your child could…..fill in the blanks with things they could do, think, feel, and believe.
Have a clear ‘bottom line’. Just as you decide your bottom line before a business meeting or when you sell something, decide what your bottom line is before you set reading, writing, or Maths goals with your child. Before you meet with them, write down your thoughts on what skills your child must develop this year to become an excellent student, what work must happen, and when and how much work must happen.
Create a win-win agreement where you both agree with the reading, writing, or Math goals. Win-win agreements where you are both happy with decisions made are the only ones that work long-term. The younger your child is, the more you decide of course, but find ways you can both agree with the goals set. If you do impose your will on your child, and set reading, writing, or Math goals they haven’t agreed with, they will not cooperate well with you Even if they don’t want a particular goal you believe is very important, trade off a goal or an activity they do want. Check out this post for further ideas about creating win-win deals. The next post will have more ideas about how to set reading, writing, or Math goals with your child so that you both win.
Warmly,
Anne
Families as Coaches 
heres hoping for a good year for every one
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If we hold fast to our clear bottom lines, and follow through with the agreed-upon consequences that day, no one will lose out. The older the child, the more responsibility they have to keep agreements, and your lovely boy aged 17 years can definitely take full responsibility for his choices.
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