FROM THE ADMISSIONS OFFICE

(CINDY HOANG)

Creating S.M.A.R.T
Goals for Parents
S. Specific
DEFINITION AND UNDERSTANDING
When creating a smart goal, make sure to ask questions such as "is it
specific?" and "is it well defined and easy to understand?". It is
important to be specific in order to allow others to understand what
the goal is and how it is attained. For example, at home you may
want your child to clean up his/her room to help improve his mental
health at home by setting a clean environment for him to learn. Set
specific dates such as "By January 1st, 2019 I want this room to have
zero clothing on the floor and all of your toys on your shelf".

M. Measurable
TRACKING AND PROGRESS
Your smart goal needs to be measurable to be able to track progress
and show if the goal is working or not. Following the first example,
when cleaning the room it is possible to measure the number of
clothing on the floor and the number of toys put on the shelf. Being
able to track a goal can allow the receiving party a sense of progress
and be able to continue until the end goal date of January 1st, 2019.

A. Attainable
REALISTIC AND ACHIEVEABLE
Make sure your smart goal is realistic for the person to accomplish
and think about ways how you would be able to complete the goal
yourself. For example, is your child really able to clean his entire
room by himself by the given date? Should it be separate yet
progressing smart goals such as have half the amount of clothes on
the floor by January and have no clothing on the floor by Mid-
January.

R. Relevant
RELATED AND APPROPRIATE
Is this goal building up to the long-term goal that you wish for your
child to achieve? Does it provide an appropriate stepping stone
towards the long-term success for your child? The example above
can be related to allowing your child to learn the importance of
organization for his/her future career and academic performance.
Would cleaning up his room help him understand that it is easier to
function in his room when he remembers where everything is?

T. Time-bound
DATE FOR COMPLETION AND PROGRESS
Remembering to add a date for completion is important for you and
your child to complete the desired goal. Being firm on the end date
is also important so that the goal is not being delayed further and
further continuously. Our example had January 1st, 2019 as the end
goal of when the child should have their room cleaned. This allows
the child and parent to track progress in the upcoming weeks to see
if the goal is being met. This also teaches your child a sense of
responsibility through deadlines that he/she will experience in their
academic and career setting.
LAYOUT BY ANNA KATRINA MARCHESI