Setting family goals that are both exciting and realistic can help you create a loving, bonded family experience no matter what type of family you belong to. Browse family goals examples to get ideas for things you want to do or achieve together.
What Are Family Goals?
Before you can set any family goals, all family members from toddlers to parents need to understand what family goals are. At first, it might seem like family goals add to your already huge workload, but they can actually help reduce family stress.
Definition of Family Goal
A goal is simply something you "aspire to do or wish to do," so a family goal is something you want to do together with all the members of your household, or family. Family goals should incorporate working together and growing together in a way that's enjoyable or beneficial for everyone.
Types of Goals for Your Family
Like personal goals or business goals, family goals come in many forms. Types of goals include:
- Daily goal: This is something you will all try to do together every day, like eat dinner at the table together without screens or phones.
- Weekly goals: This is something you will all try to do one day each week, like family game night on Fridays.
- Monthly goals: This is something you will all try to do once per month or just this month, like volunteer together at the food pantry.
- Annual goals: This is something you will all try to do once this year or once each year, like host a family reunion.
- Onetime goals: This something you will all try to do one time, like an epic and expensive vacation abroad.
Family Life Goal Examples
Family life goals are goals that deal with your everyday lives, so they often center on the home.
Create and Use a Family Chore Chart
If you don't already use a family chore chart, creating one together can help distribute household duties. Use a printable chart or create one using a chalkboard or dry erase board and hang it in a highly visible shared area like the kitchen.
Make and Use a Virtual Family Calendar
If you've got tweens and teens, using a virtual family calendar can increase your communication and cooperation. Something like a shared Google calendar on your phones can be accessed by each individual, but show all family member events and appointments in one place.
Cook Dinner Together
Whether it's once a week or every night, cooking dinner together teaches kids valuable life skills and takes the pressure off the one parent who usually makes dinner. You can make it more fun by taking turns choosing the meals and the music you listen to while you work.
Make a Private Relaxation Space for Each Family Member
Embracing each person's unique needs can make your home feel more comfortable and desirable for family members of all ages. Take a look at small, unused spaces to see how you could give each person their own private space. Then, let each person furnish and decorate that space. This is especially helpful if each child doesn't have her own room.
Start an Emergency Stockpile
Planning for emergencies as a family is a great way to prepare for the unexpected. You can make a plan to stockpile food and purchase emergency equipment like lanterns and batteries. Choose a place to keep your emergency supplies and work together to fill it and keep it organized.
Clean and Organize the Most-Used Shared Family Space
Every family has that one room that looks like a disaster every day because it gets used by everyone all day. Set a date and time to work together on clearing out anything that doesn't need to be in that room. Share ideas on how the room could be better organized to keep it cleaner in the future.
Examples of Family Health Goals
Take a look at your family eating habits and physical activity patterns to see where you can improve. Health goals are some of the hardest goals for individuals to achieve, so working together can keep you all on task.
Create a Household Screen Time Budget
Just like you'd create a family financial budget, you can create a screen time budget. Look at your normal schedules and see how much free time you have to be watching TV or playing on devices. Find a way to divide that time up daily or weekly so each family member gets an equal amount of screen time and the family as a whole has time for movie nights.
Shop Your Meals for the Week at the Farmer's Market
If you've got a big local farmer's market, challenge yourselves as a family to eat only these local goods for one week. Bring some paper and a pen to the market, browse the stands, then brainstorm a meal plan that includes your main daily meals and snacks. When the week is done, discuss your experiences and how you might be able to alter your normal eating habits.
Plant Your Own Vegetable Garden
Set a date to plant your own vegetable garden that includes a few foods your family eats most. From the garden layout to tending the garden and harvesting your vegetables, let everyone in on creating and maintaining this space.
Take After Dinner Family Walks
Whether you're walking the dog or riding bikes, getting outside together after dinner is a great way to bond and be active. You can do this daily, once a week, or only on weekends, whatever works for your schedules.
Participate in a 5K Run/Walk
You don't have to be "in shape" or an avid runner to have fun at a 5K. Most 5K races offer walking options. Your family can get some exercise, achieve something together, and support a local charity at the same time.
Ideas for Family Spiritual Goals
Caring for your spiritual health as a family is something that's often forgotten in the daily rush. No matter what belief system you adhere to, you can find ways to honor those values together.
Participate in Family Bible Study
Decide how often you'd like to come together to read and talk about verses, stories, or lessons from the Bible. Pick a comfortable place for your sessions and stick to your schedule.
Share Prayers After Dinner
Parents often get to hear children's prayers at night, but it could be a welcome change to have the whole family share their prayers. Choose a good time, like after dinner, when everyone can gather and share what they've prayed for that day or plan to pray for that night.
Volunteer As a Group at Your Place of Worship
From food pantries to cleaning help, places of worship and spiritual guidance rely on volunteers. Turn your value of service to others into reality by deciding on a volunteer schedule you can all keep as a group.
Build a Family Altar
Create a space in your home dedicated to spirituality. Discuss how and where to make your altar, then work together to fill it with spiritual symbols.
Perform Acts of Service for Neighbors
Getting the whole family together and ready on time to head out and volunteer for your community might seem daunting. Think on a smaller scale and brainstorm things you can do for your neighbors. Make a service schedule so you have set times for achieving this goal.
Financial Goal Ideas for Families
While parents are mostly responsible for household finances, kids can contribute too. Think of ways kids can help you save money to keep financial stress at bay.
Decrease Your Household Spending
A simple monthly or bi-annual brainstorming session can help keep saving on every family member's mind. Host regular discussions about how each person can help decrease the household budget and report back on progress at the next one.
Save for a Large Family Purchase
From installing a swimming pool to buying an RV, every family has a dream item they can use together. Choose one large wish list item to save for, then make a plan that includes methods for collecting and counting the savings. Set a deadline for the goal to keep everyone motivated.
Save for a Family Vacation
Family vacations are expensive, so work together to save up enough money for your dream vacation. Make a plan that includes where you'll go, when you'll go, and how much money you'll need. Visuals like a savings jar or goal thermometer can help keep everyone focused on the goal.
Create a Coupon Center
Kids might not be able to supply cash to the family, but they can help save by clipping coupons. Set a time where you'll all sit down and browse coupon inserts. Talk about which ones make sense for your family, then organize them in a box or binder.
Set a Gift Budget for the Year
From Christmas to birthdays, gifts can create unnecessary financial stress for families. Set a gift budget for the year that includes every instance where you're likely to buy a present for someone.
Examples of Family Educational Goals
Become a family of lifetime learners by setting educational family goals. These goals can include opportunities to learn from each other or from experts.
Start a Family Book Club
Starting a family book club is just one family literacy idea that can spark conversations. Take turns choosing a book to read each month, then get as many copies as you need through your local library's inter-library loan program. Set a time limit of a month or so for everyone to read the book, then discuss.
Learn a New Game
From card games to video games and multi-player online computer games, learning to play a new game together can be a lot of fun. Try to find a game that appeals to all family members in some way.
Take a Class Together
With online classes, you can take a class to learn almost any skill or topic you want. Brainstorm a skill you'd all like to learn, such as coding, then find a class you can take together. Some stores like Home Depot or Michael's offer classes you might be able to take in person.
Learn a New Language
If English is your only language, it could be really useful to learn a second language. You'll learn better by having regular conversations in your second language, so learning as a family can make it easier.
Make a Family Tree
Tap into your family heritage and learn about your ancestors with a family tree project. Schedule times for research and a time to compile a special family tree that can be displayed in your home.
Family Relationship Goal Suggestions
Family communication and family bonding are important relationship skills family members will carry outside the home. Look for goals that support individual relationship-building and strengthening your relationship as a family unit.
Create a Family Newsletter
You can create a family newsletter online or using craft supplies. Schedule times to work on the newsletter together and decide who you want to share it with. Family newsletters are a great way to strengthen relationships with extended family members.
Designate a Family Question of the Day
Find out more about your family members by asking and answering funny or profound questions on a regular basis. Choose a fun question to ask family members and write it on a big dry erase board. Commit to adding your individual answers throughout the day, then discuss them at dinner or in the evening.
Create a Family Motto
Coming up with a family motto can reinforce your family values and unite you. Brainstorm words that describe your family unit, then turn the best ones into a sentence or phrase that sums you up. Make a wall hanging of your motto to serve as a daily reminder.
Participate in Family Game Night
Use family night ideas to host regular family game nights. Each family member can commit to participating in the chosen game and take turns choosing the game. Pick a specific day of the week or month to make this a routine.
Schedule One-on-One Time With Each Family Member
Recognizing and respecting individuality within your family is important for nurturing individual self-esteem. Find ways to schedule one-on-one time so that each family member interacts with every other family member personally.
Tips for Setting Family Goals
If you're ready to set your own family goals, start by considering your family values. An adult will need to start the conversation, but everyone should be heard.
- Facilitate the conversation by asking others for their thoughts, feelings, and ideas before sharing your own.
- Make the process fun by using goal-setting activities that are age appropriate so kids don't feel like it's a chore or punishment.
- Set one or two goals at a time so no one feels overwhelmed.
- Encourage SMART goals so your ideas can be carried out in real life.
- Make a detailed plan that includes times to revisit the goal.
- Use a free printable checklist template or printable goal sheets for kids to define and display your goals.
Family Goal for the Win
Family is important, and it needs to be nurtured so it can grow healthy and strong. Setting family goals can help keep you from getting bogged down in the to-dos and help you enjoy the want-to-dos.
