Are Kids today Losing the Drive to Dream Big and Aim High?

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As parents, we often think back to our own childhood when it was common to dream about becoming a doctor, engineer, or even an astronaut. These goals gave us direction, motivation, and hope. But today, it seems many children struggle to express such ambitions, even at a young age. How can we guide them to discover their passions and set meaningful goals for the future? This newsletter dives into how we, as parents, can help foster ambition and self-belief in our children.

A Shift in Childhood Ambition: Then vs. Now

A few years back, when I was in junior high, if someone had asked me what I wanted to be, I would have easily answered: a doctor, an engineer, or something equally grand. We all had dreams, even if we didn’t fully understand the journey ahead. But today, children— even at the primary level—seem more hesitant, unsure, or even unexpressive when asked what they want to become.

Why the change? Could it be the overwhelming choices available to them? The digital world’s distractions? Or perhaps it’s societal pressures to “mature” earlier, leaving little room for creative imagination? 

Whatever the cause, the challenge remains: how do we, as parents, guide our children toward setting ambitions and having faith in themselves?

Here are 5 strategies and guide to help you kids set goals and achieve success.

5 Ways to Encourage Ambition and Goal Setting in Children

1. Foster a Growth Mindset

Instilling a growth mindset means teaching children that abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication and hard work. This helps them view challenges as opportunities rather than roadblocks.

Practical Tip: Encourage your child to embrace challenges. Praise their effort, not just their achievements. Share stories of people who faced obstacles but succeeded through persistence.

Example: If your child struggles with a subject in school, rather than focusing on the poor grades, celebrate the effort they put into improving. Over time, they will understand that success is a result of hard work, not innate talent.

2. Encourage Exploration of Interests

Children’s ambitions are often shaped by what they are exposed to. Allowing them to explore different fields—sports, arts, science, and technology—helps them discover their true passions.

Practical Tip: Provide your child with opportunities to try new activities. Take them to museums, science fairs, or community events. Let them experiment with various hobbies without pressure.

Example: If your child shows interest in art one week and engineering the next, encourage both. Who knows, they may find a way to combine these passions into a future career!

3. Lead by Example

Children learn by watching their parents. If they see you setting and achieving goals, they are more likely to develop similar habits.

Practical Tip: Set personal goals and discuss them with your children. Whether it’s a career milestone or a personal project, involve them in the process. Show them that achieving goals requires planning, patience, and perseverance.

Example: If you’re training for a marathon, share your training schedule with your child. Talk about the importance of discipline and how small steps lead to big achievements.

4. Teach the Power of Reflection

Encouraging children to reflect on their experiences helps them understand what they enjoy and what they’re good at, which shapes their future ambitions.

Practical Tip: At the end of each day or week, ask your child what activities they enjoyed and what they found challenging. Help them think about why they liked or disliked certain experiences.

Example: After a school event or extracurricular activity, sit down with your child and discuss their feelings about it. Did they enjoy it? Why or why not? These reflections can guide them toward discovering their passions.

5. Teach the Power of Reflection

Ambition grows from setting and achieving both small and big goals. Teaching children the difference between short-term (daily or weekly) and long-term (monthly or yearly) goals helps them break down big dreams into achievable steps.

Practical Tip: Work with your child to set short-term goals, like completing a project or learning a new skill, and long-term goals, such as achieving a specific grade or mastering a sport. Celebrate their progress along the way.

Example: If your child dreams of becoming a writer, set a short-term goal to write a short story this month, and a long-term goal to publish a collection of stories by the end of the year. Encourage them to track their progress and celebrate milestones.

MoonCrawler’s Mission and Vision: Fostering Dreams for a Bright Future

At MoonCrawler, our mission is to support children in their emotional and intellectual development by creating engaging content and tools that help them thrive. We believe that every child has the potential to dream big and achieve great things with the right guidance and encouragement. By nurturing creativity, self-belief, and resilience, we aim to help parents raise confident, ambitious individuals ready to take on the world.

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