This is a question I’m sure many parents around the world have asked themselves, including probably you. The answer is not so obvious. A lot depends on what your child is currently experiencing and your relationship with them.
It is possible to influence your child’s motivation, but it is very easy to misunderstand or make a mistake. The key to success is acceptance, love, and adequate support.
A parent’s language and behavior are key in building motivation and self-esteem. It is very important for the parent to help the child find his/her strengths and weaknesses. A very common parental mistake is to impose their own ambitions on their offspring. The result can be suffering and a constant feeling of inadequacy. Excessive expectations are usually counterproductive to the original intent
Show interest in presented progress and events at school, and don’t ignore when your child asks you for help or attention. Also, praise them for their effort, willingness, and attempts. If you focus only on the mistakes, you will take away the joy and pride in the work they have done. Young people often give up after a small failure, so remind your child about previous achievements and assure him or her of your support. If your son or daughter gains self-confidence and feels appreciated, they will face adversities with greater enthusiasm.
Support your child in doing their homework, but don’t do it for them. If you take over his/her responsibilities, the young person may feel that he/she is not meeting the requirements, and will also believe that it is not worth overcoming difficulties on his/her own, because someone will always be watching over him/her. Help reasonably, guide the child to the solution of the problem and show him what he did not notice
Remember that your child tires faster than you and cannot control or inhibit his/her reactions to excessive stimuli. It is not advisable to do homework immediately after coming home from school, your child usually needs a breather from a lot of content and activity. Leaving studying until late in the evening can also be detrimental, as the ability to focus attention is diminished. It is important to maintain a balance between entertainment, rest, and studying.
How do I start homework if my child has trouble getting started? It is a good idea to start learning with easy tasks or those that fall within the child’s interests. This increases the chance of motivation to keep working
Reward your child for success, but don’t do it repeatedly. Rewards are motivating, but in the long run children may get used to them and the effect will no longer be the same as at the beginning. The child’s attention should not be directed to the result itself (the reward), but to the reason for undertaking the task and its subsequent effect (the knowledge). Gifts for completing a task can also encourage cheating and learning by heart.
Be creative! Learning can be interesting and worthwhile if you just put a little more effort into it. Use association play, the popular “countries, cities” game, movement and dance, color mixing, soap bubbles, and everyday objects. If you want to support the development of reading skills, concept formation and creativity, start reading to your child, but stop reading every so often and ask them to tell you how the story continues, encourage them to give synonyms for words they have read.
Also remember that you are an example for your child. Read a lot and solve puzzles, he may want to accompany you. Didactic games accelerate the development of communication skills with the environment, consolidate concepts, and help you gain knowledge about your child’s interests
When a child sees your efforts, support and that you can actively listen to their ups and downs, they feel more confident and find it much easier to motivate themselves. Then he is also not afraid to articulate his needs and concerns to you.
Main photo: Drew Perales, source: unsplash.com
