Have you ever spent more hours than you should putting off something you hate doing? We all have. The truth is, lack of motivation is an issue that affects everyone, but it can be particularly difficult to deal with in kids. Children’s absence of motivation gets worse with time and can follow them into adulthood.
So, what does the behavior of an unmotivated child look like?
- Children lacking motivation would rather play video games than do their homework.
- They rarely stick to something until its successful completion.
- An unmotivated child prefers activities that do not require much effort.
- He/she does not seem to care about what he/she is learning in school (and many other activities)
- He/she is frequently defined as “lazy”.
- Children without motivation find everything pointless or irrelevant.
- They rarely take any initiatives and seem to take on everything half-heartedly.
- Unmotivated child blame everyone else for their performance and/or behavior
- They do not seem to care about anything.
- Children experiencing a lack of motivation put little effort into all the activities they undertake.
- An unmotivated child has poor self-esteem.
- You are constantly in conflict and must often repeat instructions when dealing with a child lacking motivation.
If you are struggling with an unmotivated child, you know by now that telling him he “needs to work harder” does not increase his motivation. As a parent, you are your child’s biggest fan and cheerleader. They look up to you and they look to you for direction. It is your duty to motivate your kid in life and help them when they need it. Whether it is school, sports, or hobbies, motivate them to be the best that they can be.
Here are 10 ways to motivate your child.
1. Set Goals: Have them make a list of short-term goals and one long-term goal. Make sure the goals are reachable but require effort to obtain.
2. Celebrate Accomplishments: When your child accomplishes their goals, let them know that you are proud of them. Celebrate these things together. In some cases, reward your child for their hard work.
3. Make Things Competitive: Encourage healthy competition. Make competition about positivity and strength in regards to your child and never about negativity and weakness towards the competitor.
4. Encourage Them: Let your child know that you believe in them. Tell them how great they are going to do. Dismiss any self-doubt or fears they may have.
5. Take Interest: Learn about your child’s interests. Talk to your child about them and listen. It will show your children that you care and that they free to talk to you about their interests.
6. Discover Passion: Encourage your children to discover what they are passionate about. It may take a few tries along the way. Support them on their journey towards passion and urge them to keep going until they find out what it is.
7. Remain Positive: Maintain a positive and optimistic outlook for your children. If they see fear or doubt in your eyes then they will likely lose self-confidence. Having a positive approach will lighten their entire outlook to a situation.
8. Peer Pressure: Occasionally, a little peer pressure is not a bad thing. It can push your kids to do better in school or in a sport because they want to keep up with their friends. However, watch for when the stress of peer pressure starts to become too much.
9. Make a Plan: In order to reach goals, you need a plan. Help your children create a strategy for reaching their goals. Make a step-by-step plan to reach them.
10. Excite Them: Excite your children about their goals and ambitions. Show that you are excited for them too. The positive energy and adrenaline will push them to continue their hard work and be happy with their efforts.