In this era of cut throat competition, parents constantly hammer their young ones to excel in the academics. Young kids do not want to study, also they are unaware of the importance of study. As parents we may rant that it’s important to be successful in life and attain a job. But at this young age, they do not understand this and are rather more fascinated by playing games. When your kid voraciously plays video games to cross a certain level he is self motivated. i.e., he is internally driven to succeed the level. This internal force towards studying is missing and this is where the parents enter into the picture.
20 Tips To Motivate Your Child To Study
Like, video games, we wish the motivation to study should also come from within. If you will observe in detail, your kid works hard in cricket practice or video game because he feels good and it is important for him. Most of the times, kids are motivated, but not in the way you think they should be. So the key is to help them identify his interest, encourage and reward appropriately. Below are a few tips on motivating your child to study:
- Ask about what he is learning – not about scores: Instead of lashing out at your child for B’s and C’s, ask him what he learnt at school and have him teach you. Correct him if he is wrong somewhere, and his teaching you in his own words will be a repeat of lesson for him – which will help him retain better
- Stay on your kids’ team: Have a relation with your child that is positive and respectful. The need is to make your child feel responsible towards his studies, and any reaction to your feelings of frustrations and fears will only make your child relent and defy you. Play from your kids’ side, not against him
- Work together: Alternatively, you may both sit at the dining table and he may study whilst you can continue your office/ house work. But avoid using laptop and mobile during this
- Establish a study routine: Remember, doing home work is not studying. Studying should involve actively repeating the lessons, reading loud aloud, understanding the context, any hard words and orally or writing the answers
- Talk about studies: Discuss the subjects with your kid. Ask him what he studied today, whether he found something interesting? Try to arrange the lab experiments at home too. You may discuss your school stories too
- Pool the teacher: You can speak to his teachers – specifically in the subjects you feel he is lacking and can do much, much better. Devise a strategy with the teachers so that your child can get better managing his time and subjects
- Create a conducive environment for study: No sound of TV or Honey Singh’s music! Tell family members to talk softly and avoid any distractions during study hours. Children’s attention span is very short and they are easily distracted.
- Keep his pencils sharpened and provide a clean eraser, ruler and blank notebook to him. Otherwise he will pass time either sharpening pencil or searching for stationary items.
- Minimize clutter on his study table and ensure optimum light.
- The chair should be comfortable, otherwise he may not be able to concentrate.
- Involve him: You may want to take your kid along to buy him his study table and chair. Also seek his advice and suggestions over day to day matters. This is a good way to involve him, rather lead him to the study haven
- Let him study in peace: Check out whether he likes to study in his room away from the family and is happier to be around the living room. Once you figure this out, make a peaceful arrangements with other family members. Make sure he is not interrupted during his study time. Constant interruptions may break his chain and dwindle his interest and focus
- Incorporate the study lessons in daily life: And also point out how he already knows the underlying mechanisms since he has already studied those.
- Stop giving any long lectures: Preaching, threatening, manipulation have no place when it comes to effective parenting. He is neither listening nor will it be helpful. Be specific. Give clear, precise and short instructions. Refrain from punishing too much as well
- Appreciate: Acknowledge if your child fares well in an exam or gets good remarks over a project. Take him for an ice cream treat or movie in a month. Clearly say, “Well done! I know you worked hard for this project”
- Goal-setting: Help your kid realize his goals. You could put up a white board in his room and break bigger assignments into smaller sections, which are driven on dates and time. He will have a sense of achievement with each passing day and you will have a sign of relief as he is sure to make progress this way. Make him follow his idol. Explain his life journey, how he studied and excelled
- Inculcate the habit of reading: Most kids are unable to concentrate on study as they dislike reading. Gift him autobiographies of his idol or whatever interests him
- Be firm: Yes, manipulating your child does not yield any positive results, but being firm in disciplining does. For even one negative interaction or negative experience with your child, try to create ten positive ones and reinforce his motivation
- Use the “When You” Rule: Instead of threatening and blackmailing your child with statements like ‘do this or else..’ use statements like ‘when you complete the lesson, we can go to the play ground for that game of volleyball.’ You get the reward after you do the work – life’s biggest lesson!
- Help him: If your kid finds a particular subject boring, devise ways to increase his interest in it. You may buy educational CDs of that subject and incorporate audio-video interaction during play time
- Storytelling: It’s hard to grab your child’s attention for long, so you may want to pass the valuable messages through moral stories at night or buying such story-themed games for your kid. These stories should easily explain the importance and benefits of studies
- No bribery: Avoid bartering with your child. Discard promising to give gifts to your child when he gets an ‘A’ in school approach. Where is the child’s motivation in this? In this way, you may temporary get him to study but then you are creating a problem for yourself. You child is going to throw a stubborn tantrum if you don’t fulfill his wishes and he won’t study. So don’t create this habit
- Segregate study time and participate: Set aside special study time for your kid. Assist him in the study. If you eat popcorn and have a gala time watching Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge whilst he huffs and puffs with mathematics, you are not giving him any reason to continue his struggle. Instead, sit with him, check his notebooks and homework. Ask him what he is doing, he if needs help. If he wants any repeat lessons. In this way he will realize that he is doing something important and therefore his mother is also participating
Finally don’t let your kid feel stressed with studies. Otherwise he would develop aversion towards studies and frown upon it. Encourage your child to accept challenges and develop his trust in you that no matter how hard, you are always with him. Your love and support is unconditional and that you are always there to help him.
