With a new school year fast approaching I thought it might be interesting to explore the idea of motivation in children and if you are a parent, then you know how hard it is to get your kids to be productive. There are more distractions than ever for children, from the Internet to video games, so sometimes it may seem impossible to get them to focus.
Unfortunately, there is no clear-cut way to motivate your child. What works for one child may have the opposite effect on another.
It’s very tempting to try and be your child’s best friend, but this can be counterproductive. Your main purpose as a parent is to teach, discipline, and lead, even if that means you have to do something that they will not like!
Below are a few easy steps that may help you motivate your kids:
Be Positive. Children love it when you give them positive attention and praise. This will let the child know that certain behaviors will result in praise, and therefore make them more likely to perform those behaviors. Children want you to be proud of them.
This is called positive reinforcement, and it is used to reward productive actions. The promise of reward motivates the child through the task because he or she is focused on the reward.
Reward Your Kids. It is very easy to motivate children with the promise of a favorite treat or activity. This will give them something tangible to think about, and will help them get through the chore.
- Spend time with them and let them pick the activity
- Read their favorite book out loud to them
- Engage them with their favorite game
- Have a movie night with their favorite movies or TV shows
- Buy them ice cream
These rewards act as positive motivation for children. They won’t waste time or act lazy if they know that one of these rewards is coming!
- Set an Example. Your kids will want to copy everything that you do, and carefully watch you for an example to follow. Make sure you are showing them the right things, because they will pick up on your bad habits just as easily as your good ones.
Demonstrate that even menial tasks can bring about a rewarding experience. For example, show them how a bunch of separate ingredients can come together and make a delicious cake!
- Consequences. There are two types of negative reinforcement, consequences and punishment. Punishment involves making the child feel bad for what they have done, and consequences create a cause/effect relationship with bad behavior in children. Showing consequences is usually more productive in forming an association in the minds of children.
Confiscate one of their favorite toys or forbid them from doing one of their favorite activities, all the while explaining exactly why you are doing it and how they can get their privileges restored. They will associate the lack of their things with bad behavior, and avoid it in the future.
- Be Affectionate. The most effective way of getting a child to listen to you is to show them that they are important and precious to you. This will motivate them through their whole lives! Make sure you stay involved in their lives, and attend all of their awards ceremonies and extracurricular activities.
Telling a child how much they mean brings you closer together. That way, when you need something done, they are more likely to do it because they respect and love you.
Getting your children to be productive is never, ever easy, and it can take many years before they fully learn what you expect of them. Sometimes it may seem like a lot less of a hassle just to do the chores yourself, but doing chores teaches kids responsibility and can be a big part in turning them into productive adults. After all, your main job as a parent is to shape the future of your children and give them the tools they need to succeed!
Children are literally sponges for affection and positive reinforcement. Utilizing these techniques will surely get the dishes done, and give them the confidence they need for the rest of their lives!
