Planning for 2017: Setting Goals
Blogger Pip Else - Paediatric OT
17th January 2017
Planning for 2017: Setting Goals
Happy New Year everyone!!
New Year’s resolutions, maybe you could set a family goal or individual goal. It is so important to have goals and aspirations but make sure you grade these goals.
How to write goals - SMART goals
Specific
Make sure the goal has a target and functional outcome for you to work on, for example: to be able to ride a bike, to be able to eat with a knife and fork or to be able to go to a new restaurant.
Measurable
Try to think of goals that can be scored or measured for example: ‘My child will use a fork 50% of the time during meals’, ‘My child will access a new activity once a day’, or ‘My child will eat at the table 5/7 evening meals per week’
Attainable
Make sure that the goal can be achieved and that it is set alongside your child’s developmental age, for example: we wouldn’t expect a 2 year old to be able to use a fork for 50% of their meal, as they will still be using their hands and fingers to explore food at this age.
For a child accessing a new restaurant, this would need to be a goal based on them attending one restaurant that they feel comfortable with, and that you want to increase their access to new restaurants.
Relevant
This is all about motivation, set goals for your family and children that are interesting and engaging; as success is very important when creating goals.
Time-Bound
Set the time frame, for example: ‘I would like my son to be able to eat with a fork by the end of May 2017’
Grading
Make sure that you can break the goal down into weekly or monthly targets, for example: ‘By the end of February my Son will have used his fork at weekends, as we will have more time to focus on this with him’
Have a go; we would love to hear what goals you have set yourselves for 2017
My goal is to: Master the art of Crochet by December 2017 and create 5 crochet items by the end of the year (2017) Maybe next year I can share my achievements!!!! (Pip Else- OT)
If you would like any further information about setting goals for 2017, why not message us on Facebook or through the website.
