4 Tips to Motivate Your Child to Learn
A common problem that the majority of parents face is the demotivation of children to learn. Parents have to always keep in mind that they should never force the child to learn. There exists a huge difference between forcing and motivating. So, take a look at the tips below which will help to motivate your child and show interest in learning.
Focus on Your Child’s Interests
The resistance many children show towards the learning process is often the result of learning things that are not interesting for them. It is very important to always focus on a child’s subjects of interest and make the learning process fun. If you want to keep your child engaged and inspired to always learn you should let him explore those subjects and topics that are captivating for them. For example, if your child finds it engaging to explore volcanoes let him do that. Even you can assist them by gifting interesting books about volcanoes or even watching together a movie about volcanoes and then discussing it together.
Reward and Celebrate Achievements
It is crucial to make your child follow some rules and be a strict parent. However, it is even more important to be generous when it comes to recognizing and celebrating your child’s achievements. This motivation is particularly important for children who are under 14 years old. Children from this age category are in need of positive reinforcement for not losing motivation to learn and challenging themselves to do better. Successfully finishing a difficult school project deserves a special treat. For example, you can allow your child to play table games with friends or go to a movie theatre. This way, you teach your child patience and discipline through delayed gratification.
Use Different Learning Styles
It is not a secret that each and every human being is unique and may grasp new information differently. If your child is trying to learn something and is unable to do so it can be because of the learning style. You can try different learning techniques to find out which one is more suitable for your child. One of the effective techniques is to make everyday events a learning opportunity for your child. For example, every day when you drive to school together you can pick a topic to discuss together. This way your child will not feel frustrated as he will grasp new information through the discussion and not perceive it as a learning process. Always encourage your child to explore the surroundings around him, ask many questions, and get to know as much as possible.
Avoid Comparisons
A widely spread habit of parents that should be avoided is making comments that suggest your child isn’t good enough compared with others. It is proven that comparative comments always demonstrate the opposite effect. So, instead of comparing your child to his peers or to the rest of the class, it is better to assess them against their own progress. Also, you should keep in mind to never compare your child with yourself. For example, you should completely avoid making comments like “When I was your age…”. Children mostly feel desperate after this kind of statement and end up with low self-esteem and demotivation.
