A List of Goals for Seven Year Olds

The typical 7-year-old appreciates and prefers structure, has the ability to go with the flow when last minute changes pop up and has developed a longer attention span, explains PBS Parents. A 7-year-old's curious mind, thirst for autonomy and ability to employ increasingly complicated and creative approaches to problems can give him the backbone necessary to meet a number of goals.

Working Smart to Be Smart

Performing to the best of her ability at school should be a top goal of a 7-year-old. Encourage your child to show you what she's accomplishing at school, such as figuring out tougher math problems or reading with proficiency, and practice what she's learning with you. Setting goals to spend less time on the computer or watching TV time and getting plenty of sleep can help your child to meet her academic goals.

Being a Good Friend

Friends become very important to school-age kids. Being kind to classmates and peers and reaching out to those who need friends -- such as a kid who is new in town or a shy child -- is an admirable and achievable goal for a 7-year-old. When conflicts inevitably arise, try to understand the situation from your child's viewpoint as well as how his friend might see the problem. Explain to your child that you will help him come up with a fair and balanced course of action that will help him achieve his goal of solving the conflict and resuming the friendship.

Staying Safe

Self-protection is a potentially life-saving goal for a 7-year-old. Help your child get in the habit of applying sunscreen before heading out doors. Putting on a hat and sunglasses can provide additional protection from the suns penetrating rays. Wearing a seat belt in the car or donning a helmet when bike riding are safety goals that should come as second nature. The Internet can also pose hazards for young children. Encourage your 7-year-old to resist the urge of sending her name, phone number, address and other personal information to just anyone on the internet. Tell her to come to you for support if staying mum proves to be a tougher goal than she anticipated.

Let's Get Physical!

Committing to regular physical exercise may be an easy goal for many 7-year-olds -- particularly those who participate in sports like hockey, softball or soccer. School-age kids should engage in aerobic exercise -- the kind that gets your heart pumping faster -- three times a week or more for about 30 minutes. Running, swimming, jumping rope and bicycling are some examples of aerobic activity. Keeping your 7-year-old moving will help him maintain his weight. Twelve percent of prepubescent kids are overweight; in most cases it's due to a sedentary lifestyle, explains Healthy Children, a website published by the American Academy of Pediatrics 14.

Eating Healthy

Serving nutritious meals and leading by example can help your 7-year-old meet her goal of eating healthier foods. Your child needs three to five servings of veggies; two to four servings of fruit; six to eleven servings of cereal, bread, rice or pasta and two to three servings of protein foods like lean meat, fish, turkey or chicken each day. Support your child when she tries to limit sugary fruit drinks and soda to special occasions like her birthday or a neighbor's barbeque. It can be easy to limit liquids to water or fat-free milk when she knows you’re watching. However, her willpower may be challenged when visiting a friend.