Tips That Will Help You to Get Your Child Motivated with Schoolwork
If you have a child and you feel as though they are struggling with their schoolwork, then you need to try and help them. The first thing that you need to do is explore whether or not they have some kind of obstacle in their way. This could include social challenges, attention span or even learning issues. They may also be experiencing some kind of emotional problem, which may be causing them to disengage on an academic level.
Get Involved As Much As You Can
If you are a parent, then you have to make sure that you are engaging in their academic life. You need to make sure that you are committed and that you do their homework with them if possible. Let them know that you are more than available to answer any questions that they may have, and also make sure that you get in the habit of asking them what they are learning too. If you are able to demonstrate that you are interested in your child’s school life then you will be showing them that you care about them and that you are interested in their day. At the end of the day, teenagers especially can be bristle if you ask them too many questions and they may not want to share too many details about what’s going on in their life. A conversation is always the better route to take when compared to interrogation, so make sure that you keep that in mind if you possibly can.
Use Reinforcement
So many parents get nervous about rewarding kids for doing good work. At the end of the day, it is true that tangible rewards can turn into a negative thing, and it may put you on a slippery slope. That being said, there are ways for you to use extrinsic motivation as this will eventually be internalized by your child. Kids tend to respond well when it comes to social support, so make sure that you give them lots of praise, high-fives, and more. They will begin to achieve because it feels good for them to receive this kind of praise, so it’s always a good idea for you to look into things like this if you can. It is also a good idea for you to reward them with things that might have happened either way. This could include going out for ice cream but using it as a direct reward for the work that they have done. It’s a good idea for you to break up the work into chunks so that you can use rewards at regular intervals.
Reward Effort
Another thing that you can do is try and reward the effort that your kids are putting in, as opposed to the outcome they are achieving. If you can praise your kids for following through when things get hard or if you can encourage them to make a sustained effort, then this will teach them all that matters is if they try their best. If you constantly praise your child for good grades, when in reality this comes easily to them, then this will teach them that they do not have to exert themselves at all.
Help them to See the Bigger Picture
If you have an older child who knows the benefit of delayed gratification, then you may need to give them a reminder of how long-term goals can help them. It may be that you have a child who has gotten into college, but they are now slacking off because they feel as though they have achieved what they wanted. Either way, if you are able to link your child’s schoolwork with the long-term goals that they have then this can help them to feel way more fulfilled on a personal level.
Allow them to Make Mistakes
Your child is not going to get a high score on every single assignment that they have. Sometimes the only way that your child is going to learn, is if you allow them to make mistakes. Although you need to motivate them, you also need to give them the chance to find out what happens if they are not at all prepared for what is to come.
Get some Outside Help
If you feel as though there is a little tension in your relationship with your child then sometimes finding an older student can help. It may be that there are older students in the class above them, or that another parent has a child who tutors. Either way, you can usually count on very low rates, and you may even find that your child listens more when they have someone more their age talking to them. If your child has a learning problem, such as ADHD then this can really be beneficial https://www.azns.org/strattera-atomoxetine/, so don’t rule it out if you are struggling. If you just don’t feel as though your child is listening either way, then you need to know that this could be because they have a problem. It may be that they are dyslexic and therefore can’t read instructions very well, or that they have a hearing problem and they can’t hear what you’re saying. Either way, it helps to seek help if you need it. A hearing specialist can be of assistance if you are concerned about your child’s hearing.
Don’t Try and Be Perfect
Lastly, you need to try and make sure that you don’t focus on being perfect too much. You probably have work and activities to manage, not to mention that you have your household duties as well. Your child may have football practice after school, or they may have parties to go to. Either way, sometimes life gets in the way and that’s fine. The best you can do is try and do what you can when you can. If you expect the same effort from your child then there’s no reason why you can’t help them to become the best they can be, both academically and personally.
