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Help Your Teens With Their Goals
By Mother | January 1, 2008
Goal setting is not for adults only. As our teens grow up to becoming young men and women, we need to introduce the idea of goal setting to them. Our teens are approaching a time in their lives where they are faced with more responsibilities and decisions to make every passing day. Goals will allow them to stay motivated and help them get to their final destination. Below are some goals that our teens can start focusing on:
Educational Goals
High school life is one of the most crucial years in a child’s life. This is where they learn the things they need to become successful in their lives. It is important to note though that their grades in high school will count when it comes to college options. Encourage your teen child to set educational goals to help them succeed.
Your teen needs to be specific when setting their educational goals. Some teens need to concentrate on getting good grades in certain subjects while others may have acceptable grades but want to qualify for honors or advanced placement programs. By being specific, your teen needs a better goal than “Doing better in school.” If your teen has his eye on a specific college, encourage him to find out what the college admission requirements are and set goals to meet them. If they do this, it will provide him with plenty of motivation.
Extracurricular Goals
Most teens are into some kind of sport so sports goals are common among teens. Most Valuable Player awards, All-State teams, and other athletic awards are prestige among the age group. Goals like these are healthy, but could be crucial to stress the importance of keeping up with schoolwork as well.
Band, debate teams, and other school-related activities may also inspire related goals. These types of awards as well as sports-related ones look good on college applications, and they are good for teens’ self-esteem. So it is important to acknowledge and encourage goals pertaining to them.
Personal Goals
As children grow into their teen years, personal goals become more common. They do vary from teen to teen. Some goals may be that they want to get in better physical shape, some want to learn new skills, and some want to do things to help others.
As a parent, it is necessary for us to discuss goals with our teens. It is important for us to ensure that their goals are good for them. We may even offer advice on how they can best achieve their goals. By encouraging our teens to set goals and follow through on them, they can benefit the most. Their achievements can set the stage for the rest of their lives. Goal setting is indeed a skill that they will need to carry with them until they grow older.
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