BeTWEEN Families: Setting Goals for Youth

The closure of schools and businesses due to COVID-19 has created upheaval for most families. If you have children between the ages of 10 and 14 you know that keeping them occupied and content can be challenging. By following this series, you will discover ideas and activities you can do with your rising teenager that are fun, increase resilience in youth, and build strong relationships in your family.

Helping youth set goals is a chance for adults to communicate with them and support their dreams and goals by helping them plan for the future. Your children can learn more about you when you share past dreams and goals of your own, and you learn about your children's hopes and dreams.

This activity is designed to encourage family communication, give youth a positive future orientation, and help them understand the planning and work it takes to reach a goal. Setting goals helps youth improve communication skills and increases their academic success.

Treasure Map of Goals and Dreams

This activity helps young teens actively visualize goals for the future in 4 areas: career, friends and family, leisure activities, and health and fitness. Then the family will make a plan to help the youth reach at least one goal from their treasure map.

Materials you'll need for this activity include:

• Posterboard or large piece of paper or cardboard
• Notebook or regular size piece of paper
• Magazines or newspapers
• Glue sticks
• Scissors
• Markers or pens

First, talk to your child about their goals and dreams for the future in 4 areas: career, friends and family, leisure activities, and health and fitness. Share some of your own goals and dreams from when you were their age.

Help your child complete the treasure map of goals and dreams by having him/her do the following:

• Take the large poster board, piece of paper, or cardboard and divide it into four sections using a marker or pen.
• Title each section of the treasure map with one of the 4 areas: career, friends and family, leisure activities, and health and fitness.
• With your help, if needed, your child can cut images from the magazines to represent their goals and glue the images to their treasure map. They can also draw images or write the words of their goals.
• The treasure map can also be decorated.

Next, have your child choose one goal s/he wants to reach. Then, as a family, brainstorm ideas to reach this goal and write them on the notebook paper. Be specific. Focus on the steps needed to reach the goal.

• Do they need to learn or practice a skill?
• Should they take a special class?
• Do they need to earn a degree or work as an apprentice?
• Is there a person that could help them reach the goal?
• What can they do in the present and what can they plan to do in the future?   

When you have completed the steps to reach one of the goals, place the treasure map and the steps to reach the goal up somewhere your young teen can see it. It can serve as a reminder of what they want to accomplish and what steps they need to complete to reach their dreams or goals.

This activity has been adopted from Iowa State University's Strengthening Families for Parents and Youth 10-14 (SFP 10-14) curriculum. SFP 10-14 is a multi-session family series that builds family cohesion and has been proven to reduce substance use in youth. Find out if your child's school is hosting SFP 10-14. For more information, contact your local Penn State Extension office.