Setting and sticking to goals can be difficult for your daycare daughter. Her absorbent mind is busily trying to soak up as much information about the world as it can, and this can lead to forgetting to follow a daily or weekly routine designed to achieve specific goals. You can help with that by following a few simple tips.
Set Realistic Goals
Your daycare daughter may not be able to achieve world peace right away, but she can begin contributing to a better world. Realistic goals such as doing a kind deed every day serves the dual purpose of teaching her to be kind to others and provide her the benefit of feeling good about herself and how she interacts with the world.
Develop a Goal Plan
Long-range goals or projects need to be thought through. It is more feasible to work on small segments of a larger plan rather than facing the challenge of trying to do it all at once. You can help her reach her goals by keeping track of her progress and offering incentives and encouragement along the way. Keeping a calendar or journal can help with this, and will create a lasting memory she can revisit whenever she wants.
Keep a Calendar or Journal
The importance of keeping a record cannot be overstated. This gives her a step-by-step list of her accomplishments, helps develop fine motor skills and teaches her to write and draw. Keeping a journal of the progress she makes toward goals serves many developmental roles beyond the goal itself.
Offer Positive Reinforcement
You are your child’s role model. When you offer encouragement or provide positive reinforcement, she will listen and respond. Avoid criticizing her if the project is taking longer than expected. Failing to meet a predetermined schedule can be disheartening, so guide her toward the positive viewpoint of tomorrow being another opportunity. The goal is the objective, not counting the number of tries it takes to get there.
Your Montessori daycare considers setting and sticking to goals an important part of childhood development. The process even involves contractual agreements between the children and their teachers about the goals they want to achieve in class. Learning to set goals in daycare will enable her to achieve more as she gets older.