If you have a child that’s a toddler or in preschool you might not have thought of goal setting. It’s amazing, but this age is not too young for them to start setting their own goals. You can help them to learn how to set and achieve goals for lifelong success.

Of course, most of their goals will center on learning and new experiences. Find out what interests them so you can develop activities and paths that will help them to achieve the goals they have. Even if they don’t recognize these as goals they can definitely reach them and feel the benefits of success.

Many children this age will set the goal of learning how to read. This is a lot of fun for you as the parent and your toddler or preschooler. They see “big people” reading all the time and want to take part in it. Create a text rich environment to spur them on.

Make it your mission to read to them everyday. Also, encourage creative reading on their part. They can simply look at the pictures and think about what the words might be. Even if they don’t have it right this will develop their concept of reading.

Another goal your toddler or preschooler might have is learning how to write. Writing can seem magical when you don’t know how to do it! Encourage doodles at an early age as well as pictures to communicate thoughts. When your child is older, creative spelling can go a long way toward help your child learn how to write.

Other goals aren’t so academic in nature. They can be as simple as learning how to tie their shoes. Of course, it’s not simple for them! Model this for them over and over until they understand the concepts at hand.

Still other goals are social in nature. They might have the goal of making a new friend in their daycare, or at the park, or at pre-school. Make sure you nurture this goal by providing plenty of opportunities to play and be active with other children.

You probably have many goals for your toddler and preschooler as well. Make sure that you don’t push them too hard with these goals. Instead, provide a healthy mixture of goal realization and play time. Remember, these guys are little and many will want to learn things in their own time.

Early childhood is a great time for goals even if you didn’t realize it before. Take the time to get to know the goals children have for themselves. Balance these with the goals you have for them, and help your child to realize their success.

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