The 5 Best Ways of Motivating Your Child in School

Kids need motivation in every stage of their lives. Whether it is the beginning or the end of a new school year, various situations and circumstances can make kids lose track of their goals. Here are a few ways to motivate your kids to rediscover the joys of learning and stay motivated at school:

1. Re-evaluate Your Expectations: While you may expect your kids to always do well in school, it is important to not be easily disappointed when they fall short. You might think you are doing a good job of masking your disappointment, but children are usually tuned into how parents review their performance. Disappointment in them can lead kids to consider themselves as failures. This, in turn, demotivates them from trying the next time around. Base your expectations on your child’s strengths and weaknesses. Strive not to be tempted to generalize success and failure.
2. Encourage Dialogue: Often, older kids place certain expectations on themselves. These expectations are more likely to be more reasonable than what parents expect from them. Encourage your kids to voice out what they consider achievable. Sit down and assess this with them. Gently motivate them by using positive words. Encourage them to slightly raise the bar over where they have already placed it to help boost their confidence.
3. Show Enthusiasm: Did you ever encounter a problem when you thought your kid could have a bright future as a dentist but she was more interested in becoming a dancer? Rather than trying to change her mind, be enthusiastic about her aspirations. Don’t limit your enthusiasm with only a few words of encouragement. Show your thrill and excitement by doing some research and give her some advice she can take to heart later on in the future. By doing this, you are reinforcing her belief that she can rely on you. This will go a long way to motivate her and help her achieve success in her chosen field.
4. Open All Channels of Motivation: Motivation can come from all sides. It is imperative to keep all sources of information open at all times for well-rounded growth. Encourage your kids to cultivate the habit of reading early on in life. If your child is a loyal sports fan, but you wish for her to check out local concerts, then simply urge her to go and explore all avenues. You never know where the turning point of your child’s life might be.
5. Celebrate Achievements: As the school year comes to an end, the same turn of events has happened again. Your child didn’t do too well in math, but managed to write an essay that impressed her teacher. What do you focus on – her skyrocketing writing skills or her low improvement in math? The former, by all means! Make it a point to celebrate success, regardless of its proportions. Be it a special ice-cream treat or an extra hour of video games/television, find ways to celebrate success to keep motivating your kids to continue in that direction.