FOR PARENTS

As parents, guardians and caregivers, we know the importance of guiding our youths to become confident, educated and responsible young adults. But equally important is becoming a co-producer in their life where we not only guide them but give them the tools to become: self-motivated, academically successful and develop a personal vision to aspire to. Our program for parents entitled, “Family Vision provides parents/guardians with strategies and a roadmap to assist their children to become self-efficacious and take back their dreams.

 
My motivation to write this guide, entitled Co-Producing a Family Vision,” for parents and children aspired from my years of facilitating weekly goal-setting workshops in elementary and secondary school systems. During my initial meeting with the students in their classroom, I found that an increasing number of our young people do not set goals, devise action plans, manage their time or have a vision for their future—they somehow forgot how to dream. Students will often share that they do not see the connection between their academic learning and the practical application of it in their lives. Over the months of working with the students on goal-setting techniques they begin to develop a better self-awareness and incorporate goal-setting, action plan development and time management into their personal and academic lives. I have witnessed the gleam in the students’ eyes when they develop a personal vision and acquire the tools (goal-setting techniques) to reach that vision.

I often ask the administrators of our school systems, “when will personal development be at the forefront of the educational agenda?” As parents and guardians, we have to make it our forefront agenda and teach our children how to develop the necessary tools to become independent thinkers. This kind of empowerment comes when our children learn how to exert control over the outcome of their lives. This level of control is achieved through life-planning and an understanding of its importance and requirements.

Family Vision takes a collaborative hands-on approach where you and your child become co-producers in designing a strategic plan (using goal-setting as the delivery tool) to nurture confidence and develop a life-map to success. Your child will develop a new self-knowledge, a new understanding of responsibility and values, a clearer and defined set of goals and action plans, leadership enhancement and academic motivation.