Wish Box

Posted by Elizabeth Yetter Oct 29, 2006

Making wishes is a part of childhood, whether it’s wishing upon a star or making a wish when blowing out birthday candles. One of our biggest mistakes, as parents and educators, is ignoring the potential of using wish making as an early form of goal setting.

Wishes are literally the goals of children. Whether it is wishing for an item, such as a bicycle, or for miraculous good grades on tests, wishes can be used to help children focus on their goals.

For example, if a child makes a wish for a new bicycle, a parent can help the child realize his goal of attaining a new bike by showing him how he can earn and save his money.

A wish for a good grade on a test is a great moment for a teacher to show the child (classroom) a study “trick.”

Wish making is encouraged in my home. It’s a fun way to set goals and to teach children how to work towards attaining their goals.

The first thing we each did was make a wish box. Each child was given a small jewelry box to decorate with paint, markers, buttons, sequins, etc. After each child created a wish box, they wrote a wish (goal) on a slip of paper and placed it in the box.

Once the wish was made, steps are taken to make sure the goal is attainable. Can the child keep and care for a four-legged pet? Or would it be better if the child worked up towards the responsibility of keeping a furry pet? Perhaps a betta fish would be easier and less costly.

Wishes can be changed and adapted to suit the family’s lifestyle. It’s called compromising, a lesson that children can learn quickly in a trusting environment.

If a child’s wish is to save a certain amount of money, a parent can help the child with setting out chores for an allowance and may also suggest raking leaves and shoveling snow for neighborhood friends. A piggy bank can also be made that only has an opening for money to go in, not come out.

The ideas are endless for turning wishes into actual goals that can be met. All it takes is a little participation by parents, family members, and educators.