How do I Raise Happy and Successful Goal Setting Kids?

Parent Newsletters - Issue 14

No Limits Learning
kids goals Ezine

Issue 14, JULY 29th, /06

IN THIS PARENT NEWSLETTER

1. A WORD FROM THE EDITORS

2. FINDING A HOBBY FOR YOUR CHILD
3. GOALSETTING (VISUALIZATION)
4. KIDS CORNER COOKING AND CRAFTS
5. TICKLE YOUR FUNNYBONE (JOKES FOR KIDS BY KIDS)
6. WORDS OF INSPIRATION
7. SPONSORS

1. A WORD FROM THE EDITORS

Welcome to the next issue of the kidsgoals.com Newsletter. In this issue Cassie and I chose to write articles that will help your child in goal setting and also to help them to discover their passions.

The first article deals with helping your child to find a hobby, which is an important first step in discovering their true passion and may even lead to a career when they are adults. The next article is about using visualization to help your child accomplish his/her goals. Like the saying goes... if you can see it, you can be it.

Monicka

2. A HOBBY FOR YOUR KID

Helping your kids find a hobby they can really enjoy and be passionate about can be a fulfilling challenge for any parent. The temptation to live through our children can at times be overwhelming, especially if our own childhoods were unhappy or deprived in some way. So the first thing we should remember to do when we are thinking about helping our kids find their passion / hobby is that we need to be enjoying a fulfilling life ourselves. If this is difficult (believe me you would not be alone!) then it is as well to bear in mind this thought: "How could you know what your kids might have become, if you keep trying to live through them?"

That said, there is nothing wrong with being willing to dabble in various hobbies with your child. You might be surprised to find a hobby you and your kid can share and enjoy together.

When your kid finds a hobby he is passionate about, he's much less likely to get involved in anything destructive, because he has an outlet for his energy and creativity that he cares deeply about. It can even foster a lifetime of satisfaction.

When researching hobbies with or for your kids, remember to focus on their particular interests and personality, rather than just looking outside at what all the other kids are doing. The "common" interests, sports and hobbies that kids at school are following are likely to be limited - and you may need to think outside the box a little to find something your own child can really get passionate about.

Avoid focussing merely on competition - maybe your child is lucky enough to have fallen passionately for a hobby that is easily accessible and played competitively at school - if so well and good! But if not, you might want to explore more unusual hobbies with your kid. What about bird watching, crochet or sea scouts (even if you live miles from the sea!)?

The key is to keep trying different things until something appears that really sparks your child's interest and enthusiasm. You will surely know she has found it by the smile in her eyes when she recognises it.

Some things you could try during the search might include:

• Doing volunteer work with your child at various local non-profit organisations like nature reserves or dog rescue centers
• Seeking out all the local children's clubs and trying them out - most clubs welcome visitors who might be interested in joining, with no commitment of course
• Browse local shops that sell items your child is interested in. He might spot something that triggers his interest, whether a craft or a sport, and local shops may well have contact details of local clubs, classes or projects
• Keep your eyes open for non-academic after school classes such as cooking, model-building or drama

Finally, a thought to end on is that finding a hobby your kid can be really passionate about might not be about competition or about achievement in the traditional sense of the word. The biggest lifetime value to your child might actually be in the inner joy she can find from her passion through times good and bad. Take heart from the idea that this thing that is so special to your child will have the power to make her feel better about herself even during the tough times in her life.

"It's no good running a pig farm badly for thirty years while saying, 'Really I was meant to be a ballet dancer.' By that time, pigs will be your style." -- Quentin Crisp

By Cassie

3. GOAL SETTING 101 FOR KIDS (VISUALIZATION)

My Eldest Daughter is a perfect example of how to use visualization to accomplish goals. One day in February she phoned me from work and announced she was going to live in Australia for a year. She would find a part time job and on her days off she would explore the countryside.

"Sounds good to me", I said, knowing that my daughter was famous for coming up with things that she would like to do but never followed through on. This time the tone in her voice told me something was different though and so I asked her how she thought she was ever going to save up enough money to not only afford the plane fare but give her enough to get by on until she found a job. She also mentioned that even before she went to Australia she was going to go to Asia and see Japan and Thailand. I asked her once again how she could do this on what she was making on her paycheck? All most every time I had spoken to her in the past she would tell me her money woes and so I was a little hesitant to believe that she could actually bring this dream to fruition.

Boy was I wrong!! Within four months she had saved enough for her plane fare and a few months before her flight, which was November 21st she had saved enough for her working Visa, which was $5,000. By the time she was ready to leave she had enough spending money to last her for the month in Thailand and Japan and also enough to hold her over in Australia until she found a job. You have to bear in mind that my daughter had never attempted anything this industrious before.

In her mind's eye she had already been to Australia, Thailand and Japan. She could see it so clearly that there was no way she could ever fail at accomplishing her goal. She read books and put up pictures and lived and breathed Australia. She went to an Australian wine tasting party and met actual Australians. Her topic of conversation at all times was her trip and she never tired of discussing her plans. She was going to Oz and there was no turning back.

What she was using without really knowing much about it was visualization. A powerful tool you can teach your children to use to accomplish their goals. It is even easier for children to use because they are still so willing to believe in the magic and their subconscious mind will readily accept which pictures they choose to put there.

Here are some ways to help your child use this powerful tool.

• Help your child to come up with a specific goal they would like to accomplish. Make sure it is something they really want and not something that just sounds good.
• Have your child write down the goal with as many details as possible, the more the better.
• Help your child find pictures in magazines or objects that represent the goal to him or her, put them in a place where your child can see them easily, or have them use a binder or a scrapbook where they can paste pictures from magazines or photographs.
• Have them picture in their mind what it would be like if their goal were to happen. Have them go to a quiet place where they can close their eyes and daydream about having their chosen goal. First thing in the morning and before they go to sleep at night are the best times as that is when the subconscious mind is most accepting and relaxed. Never force them to do this for a specific amount of time the most important thing is to keep it simple and fun.
• Have them focus on their goal as much as possible by keeping a clear picture in their mind.
• Keep it in the family. Tell your child this is a special secret and he can tell other people when he reaches his goal but until then it should remain in the family. Other people may say that he is being silly and cause him to doubt the process.
• Ask your child what it would be like when the goal actually happened. How would they feel, happy, excited? Whichever emotion they can come up with, have them act it out like it was a reality. Emotion is very powerful in the visualization process

Finally get the whole family involved in your child's goal. Talk about it as if it has already happened. If the goal is too large have your child break it into mini goals - each mini goal he reaches will bring him closer to the ultimate goal. Celebrate each success as your child reaches a goal by having a special family celebration.

By Monicka

4. KIDS CORNER COOKING AND CRAFTS

Macaroni Bead Necklace (ages five and up with adult supervision)

Supplies Needed

• Yarn or thin elastic cording from craft shop
• Uncooked, tube-shaped macaroni
• Scissors
• Optional (if you want to color the macaroni): Rubbing alcohol, liquid food coloring, small container, spoon, plastic bags and paper towels

If you want to color the macaroni, mix 2-3 tablespoons of rubbing alcohol with a few drops of liquid food coloring. Put some of the uncooked macaroni in a plastic bag and add the colored alcohol. Mix so that the liquid colors all the macaroni. Let the macaroni dry thoroughly on paper towels.

For each necklace, cut some yarn or thin elastic cording enough to make a necklace. Wrap one end of the yarn tightly with tape to make it easier to string the macaroni. String one piece of macaroni through the yarn and tie it to one end to keep the other beads from falling off. String the macaroni through the yarn - leave a few inches so you can tie the necklace off when you are done. Using patterns of colors (like red, yellow, blue, red, yellow, blue, or whichever pattern your child prefers. Tie the ends of the string together. Optional: decorate your necklace with glitter or with a colored marker.

Frozen Pudding Pops (with adult supervision)

Perfect treat to beat the heat

• 1 (3.9 ounce) package instant pudding mix
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3 cups milk

Combine pudding, sugar, and milk in a mixing bowl. Pour mixture into small plastic cups (if you do not have ice pop molds) and freeze. Before it sets completely, place a wooden craft sticks into them. Serve when frozen. For an added treat, layer two different kinds of pudding such as vanilla and chocolate.

5. TICKLE YOUR FUNNYBONE

Q. What did the grape do when it got stepped on?
A. It let out a little wine!

Q. What did the water say to the boat?
A. Nothing, it just waved.

Q. Why don't skeletons fight each other?
A. They don't have the guts.

6. WORDS OF INSPIRATION

"You must see your goals specifically before you can set out for them. Hold them in your mind until they become second nature." -Les Brown

"See things as you would have them and not as how they are." - Robert Collier

"Visualization and belief in a pattern of reality, activates the creative power of realization." -A.L.Linell Jr.

"Only passions, great passions, can elevate the soul to great things." -Denis Diderot

"Our ideals resemble the stars, which illuminate the night. No one will ever be able to touch them. But the men who, like the sailors on the ocean, take them for guides, will undoubtedly reach their goal." - Carl Schurz

7. SPONSORS

If you can suggest any organizations or websites that might want to sponsor this newsletter, or reprint our articles, please email Cassie or Monicka at kidsgoals.com.

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