The new year provides us with a chance to start fresh. January is a special month because it represents a time to begin again. This month is an ideal time to set goals for adults and children alike. It’s important to set age-appropriate goals for preschoolers. 

How Can I Teach My Preschooler to Set Goals?

Preschool children are continuously learning a large quantity of information daily. They change and grow significantly between the ages of 2-5. It’s necessary to teach them the importance of setting goals and achieving them at a young age. Depending on the age and capabilities of your child, the following goals for preschoolers can be modified to suit their unique needs. Share on X

1. Keep Bedroom Clean
2. Brush Teeth Twice Daily
3. Be Kind
4. Learn Something New
5. Help Others

1) Keep Bedroom Clean

Teaching children to keep their bedroom clean will help them develop real-world organizational skills. Designating a specific toy box or bin can give your child an exact place to put their toys away. Kids as young as 2 years old can understand that when they take a toy out, they need to put it back in their specific toy box.

2) Brush Teeth Twice Daily

Personal hygiene is just as mandatory for small children as it is for adults. When children learn healthy habits at a young age, that can make hygiene tasks an automatic part of their daily routine.

Pro Tip: Consider hanging a colorful chore chart within little arm’s reach to motivate young children to complete daily tasks such as brushing their teeth, picking up toys and helping with household chores.

3) Be Kind

Kindness should be instilled in kids during early childhood. This will lay the groundwork for your child to treat others with respect in elementary school and beyond. Teaching children to be kind to others can be different for each family. Kindness activities could be sharing a favorite toy with a sibling, playing with pets or writing letters to teachers and friends.

4) Learn Something New

It’s always good for children to learn something new. This goal can be a number of things depending on the age of your child. 2-year-olds can have a goal to learn how to sleep through the night with no accidents. 3-year-olds can make it a goal to learn the alphabet or how to spell their names. 4-year-olds can make it a goal to learn how to read their favorite book all by themselves. Talk with your child, provide them with options and see what they want to learn.

5) Help Others

Children can conceptualize the happy feeling they get from helping others at a young age. Preschoolers can be taught the importance of giving by choosing toys to donate to a shelter or charity. The tangible act of helping others will have them understand how fortunate they are and keep them thankful for what they have.

Setting Age-Appropriate Goals

Setting age-appropriate goals can be a fun and exciting activity for children in 2019. Goal setting is an essential step to becoming a successful and productive adult.

What goals have you set with your children? Join the conversation to talk about your child’s goals for the new year and beyond.