Time
- Use a planner or calendar to map out homework and activities
- Set timers for short bursts of focused work (e.g. 20 minutes)
- Build in breaks and downtime
Helping your child set goals and stay on track
Key takeaways
- Goal-setting builds lifelong skills such as confidence, motivation, resilience and independence.
- You don’t need to be an expert to help. Asking questions, encouraging effort, and celebrating progress can make a big difference.
- Learning to manage time, effort, and emotions helps children feel more confident at school and ready for what comes next.
Setting goals and learning to manage time, effort, and emotions are important life skills.
These skills can help your child:
These skills can help your child:
- Feel confident
- Stay motivated
- Bounce back from mistakes
- Take charge of their learning
How to support goal-setting at home
You don’t need to be an expert to help your child set goals. Just asking the right questions, showing interest, and encouraging effort can make a big difference.
Here’s how you can help:
Here’s how you can help:
1. Start small
Ask questions like:
- “What’s something you’d like to improve this week?”
- “Is there something you want to finish or try?”
2. Use SMART goals
Help your child set goals that are:
- Specific: What exactly do they want to do?
- Measurable: How will they know they’ve done it?
- Achievable: Is it realistic?
- Relevant: Why does it matter to them?
- Time-bound: When will they do it?
Example: “I want to finish my science project by Friday by working on it for 20 minutes each day after school.”
3. Break it down
Big goals can feel overwhelming. Help your child:
- Break the goal into smaller steps
- Tick them off as they go
4. Check in and celebrate
Ask how things are going. If they’re stuck, help them problem-solve. Celebrate effort, not just results.
5. If things don’t go to plan
That’s okay. Talk about:
- What got in the way
- What they could try next time
Managing time, effort, and emotions
Learning to manage time, effort, and emotions is just as important as setting goals. Here are some simple ways you can help your child build these skills at home:
Effort
- Talk about how effort leads to progress, even if it’s slow
- Praise persistence and trying again after setbacks
Emotions
- Help your child name their feelings (e.g. “I feel frustrated”)
- Talk about what helps them calm down or refocus
- Remind them it’s okay to ask for help
When I feel overwhelmed, I take a break and go for a walk. Then I come back and try again.
Supporting your child at every age
Children build confidence, motivation, and resilience in different ways as they grow. Here are some tips to help you support goal-setting and self-management at home, from early primary through to upper secondary:
Early primary
- Use stickers or charts to track small goals
- Keep goals fun and short-term
- Talk about feelings using simple words
Upper primary
- Introduce planners or checklists
- Talk about what helps them stay focused
- Encourage reflection: “What worked well? What could you try next time?”
Lower secondary
- Support them to set academic and personal goals
- Talk about time management and balance
- Help them reflect on how emotions affect learning
Upper secondary
- Encourage long-term planning (e.g. exams, career goals)
- Talk about stress and healthy coping strategies
- Support independence while staying available
How does this help at school?
When children learn to set goals and manage their time, effort and emotions, they’re more likely to:
- Stay motivated and organised
- Feel confident in class
- Handle challenges and setbacks
- Take ownership of their learning
These skills help them feel more connected to school and prepared for life beyond it.
Keep it going
Building these habits takes time. Celebrate progress, keep the conversation going, and remind your child that learning is a journey.
Want to learn more?
Explore the resources below.
- Student Wellbeing Hub: A resource for parents with information and advice to help make your child’s learning journey safe and positive.
- ReachOut Australia: How to build resilience in your teenager
- ReachOut Australia: Goal Setting for students
- Raising Children Network: Confidence: pre-teens and teenagers
We are here for you!
Your Family Partnership Coordinator is here to support you through each stage of your child's educational journey.
They can support you to problem-solve any challenges that may come up that affect your child's education.
They can also connect you to educational support programs or services in the community if you decide that's what you need.
You can find your Family Partnership Coordinator's contact details in My Smith Family.
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