How to set your activity goal

It can be really daunting to just say “I want to do activities with my child.”

What does that mean exactly? Does that mean doing activities with your child non-stop? Or is 1 time per week enough?

Does this mean it’s a time for you to spend time together? Or a time for you to get the laundry done and dinner on the table?

The first step to setting your activity goals is to find out your why.

Why do you want to do activities with your child?

Why is it important to you that you do these activities?

It’s super important to write down your why. When you write down your why, you are immediately clear on the reasons for doing activities so you can tailor the activities likewise.

You also may end up going around in circles and wonder why you even do activities at some point.

You’re often doing all kinds of activities, they’re fun, the kids are in a good mood and we’re generally a happy home!

Because the kids are being so good, you may start to slack and let them play on their own, which is always fun to see.

But then the kids become bored of playing on their own and they start getting into trouble.

You then realize you need to try an activity here and there, but it just goes awry. The kids don’t want to do it. They’re not in the mood. You’re not in the mood. There always seems to be an excuse. And you’re not that happy home anymore.

You tell yourself that it’s okay to not do activities with the kids.

And it really is okay.

But when you get into that funk of not doing activities, you question yourself:

Why is it important that I do these activities with my kids anyway?

For me, the answer, hands down, is always one of these three below.

And by reminding myself of these reasons, it gets us back to the beginning of that circle and doing activities in a good way, for the right reasons.

• So my kids will love to learn!
• To get, and keep, my kids moving
• To create memories and just have fun!

Take a moment to write down your reasons. Fill out the Why Do I Do Activities Section of the “Activity Goals” Sheet.

Hang them somewhere for that day when you get in a funk, too.

Set your Activity Goals:

Now that you know your why, it’s time to break your big activity goals of “doing activities” to more manageable pieces.

Questions to think about as you set your activity goals.

• How often do you want to do activities? Try to write this out in a per week or per day basis. If you’re just starting out with activities, you may want to aim for 2 activities per week. If you’re already active doing a couple activities each week, you may want to try to do 4-5 activities per week.
• What is the reason you are doing the activity? Each activity may be different at the time, so think about this each time you do an activity. Is it to create a keepsake for Grandma? Is it to get their wiggles out? Is it to give you some much-needed time to yourself? But overall, remember your whys for doing activities and keep those in mind with every activity you do!

Fill out the “Setting Activity Goals” Sheet