New Year, New Goals: How to Set Communication Goals for Kids as a Family

New Year, New Goals. Let’s Talk About Communication.

The New Year shows up with a strange mix of hope and pressure. Fresh calendars. New routines. Big promises whispered over coffee before the kids wake up. Eat better. Sleep more. Be more patient. And for many families, there’s another quiet wish in the background. I just want my child to communicate more easily this year.

You know what? That’s a powerful place to start.

Communication goals do not have to sound clinical or stiff to matter. They can be gentle. Human. Built around real family moments like car rides, bedtime stories, grocery store meltdowns, and those small wins that make your chest feel tight in a good way.

Here’s the thing. When families set communication goals together, not just for a child but with a child, something shifts. Progress feels shared. Less lonely. More doable.

Communication Goals for Kids: First, Let’s Rethink What a “Goal” Even Means

When parents hear the word goal, they often picture charts, data, or therapy homework taped to the fridge. That can be helpful. But communication is not a worksheet skill. It lives in moments.

A strong communication goal might sound like:“I want my child to tell me what they need without crying.”Or:“I want family dinners to feel calmer.”Or even:“I want my child to feel heard.”

Those are emotional goals, yes. But they are also very functional. As speech language pathologists, we call this participation based progress. Real life impact. Real motivation.

Start Where Your Family Already Is

Honestly, the best place to begin is not with what your child cannot do. Start with what already works.

Does your child point, gesture, pull you toward something, or bring you an item? That is communication. Does your child use a few words, signs, pictures, or a speech generating device? Also communication.

Take a week and notice patterns. When does communication break down? Mornings? Transitions? Screen time ending? Now ask a softer question. What would make that moment easier for everyone?

That answer often becomes your first goal.

Pick One or Two Goals. Not Ten.

There’s a temptation in January to fix everything at once. More words. Better articulation. Longer sentences. Fewer meltdowns. Better social skills.

Slow down.

Families make more progress when goals are narrow and meaningful. Think small but mighty.

Examples families often connect with:

• Asking for help during frustrating tasks

• Making a choice between two options

• Greeting familiar people

• Telling someone “stop” or “all done”

These goals build autonomy and confidence. They also stack. One success makes the next one easier.

Make It a Family Thing

Communication does not belong only to therapy sessions. It lives at home. With siblings. With grandparents. With babysitters who mean well but need guidance.

Talk about the goal openly. Keep language simple.“We’re all helping Sam practice asking for help.”“We’re waiting and giving Mia time to respond.”

Visual reminders help. A sticky note. A simple picture. A shared phrase everyone uses. Consistency matters more than perfection.

And yes, siblings can be incredible partners in this process. Kids learn quickly from other kids. Sometimes faster than from adults.

Tools Are Not Shortcuts. They’re Supports.

If your child uses AAC, visuals, or a device, that tool is part of the family system. It is not separate from speech. It is not a last resort.

Apps like Proloquo, TouchChat, or LAMP can support language growth when modeled naturally. Picture schedules can reduce anxiety around transitions. Simple core boards can travel anywhere.

Think of tools the way you think of glasses. They do not replace vision. They support it.

Progress Will Feel Messy. That’s Normal.

Some weeks you will feel encouraged. Other weeks, it may feel like nothing is sticking. That does not mean the goal is wrong.

Language development is not a straight line. It loops. It pauses. It surprises you when you least expect it, usually when you stopped watching so closely.

Celebrate effort. Celebrate attempts. Celebrate communication that looks different than you imagined.

Because connection counts, even when words are still forming.

A Gentle Reset for the Year Ahead

New Year goals do not need to be loud or dramatic. They can be quiet promises you keep returning to.

“We’re listening.”“We’re giving time.”“We’re growing together.”

If you want support shaping goals that fit your family’s rhythm, a speech language pathologist can help guide that process. Not by taking over, but by walking alongside you.

This year does not need perfection. It needs presence.

And that is something families already have more of than they realize.

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