Helping My Sons Set Intentions

I’m a firm believer in starting the day how you wish to proceed throughout the day. In my experience, if I have a rough morning and do nothing to shake the feeling, I’m in a bad mood for the rest of the day. If I start the day with an easy, relaxed morning, I know I’ll be in a good mood for the day.

As my sons have moved out of the toddler stage and into school age, I’ve started talking with them about setting intentions for the day. They’re currently in preschool and first grade, so I approach each slightly differently. I also want to call out that these conversations are not over-the-top or super in depth. Most of the time, they take place in the car on the way to school drop off.

My preschooler is still getting used to school. He is also more of an introvert and tends to be shy. With him, I focus our conversation on what he’s excited about for the day. I also talk about what he’s looking forward to at daycare after school, since he only has preschool in the morning. When I pick him up, I circle back to our morning conversation. I ask about his favorite part of the day and what he learned. For my youngest, I sometimes ask specifically about preschool and daycare separately.

My first grader loves school. He’s more extroverted and is incredibly empathetic. I ask him what he’s looking forward to for the day. We’ve also gotten into a routine where I ask him what he’ll do for the day. His answer is always related to his classmates. He focuses on being kind to everyone and asking someone to play if they look lonely. He also always says he’ll do his best in whatever they’re doing for the day. Like my youngest, I also follow up at the end of the day. What was your favorite thing? What did you learn?

These aren’t major conversations, but they help my son’s focus on what they can control in their day.

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