How To Motivate Kids To Learn?

The short answer to this question is dedication, openness, honesty! Listening to the child’s inner voice since they’re little also, cause later it might be too late. A detailed answer is in the text below and I sincerely hope you find it useful. How to Motivate Kids to Learn?

The eternal question parents of most children ask themselves during their adolescent education is how to motivate their children to learn. Therefore, it is clear that it’s not just the children’s fault (we were all children once). The school system confuse us in whether we should follow it blindly and be the best or give everything up…

This may be the most important thing to realize – school is not crucial no matter how important it is. It’s crucial to get to know the child completely, and that requires DEDICATION.

Is School The Killer Of Children’s Curiosity And Motivation?

More than once, I remembered mine, but also other children at an earlier age, who were eager for knowledge and full of questions. And then, when they get up for school and when schoolwork begins, it seems like all that curiosity subsides and goes out. I’m kind of saddened by the fact that school makes most kids haters of learning and children who can’t wait to get rid of school. (I always remember Montessori, who might one day bring new momentum to humanity and a new way of learning).

Those who enjoy school and the responsibilities and whose desire and interest to learn last throughout the school are rare. And again I’m sorry for those kids who are in love with school, eager to be the best. I am aware that these are the children who succumb to the system early and most often forget the essence they carry within themselves.

There Are Many Questions, And Many Mistakes

How to motivate kids to learn? Is school the killer of children’s curiosity? Why is the system unadapted since it blindly follows the same program for different children? Are parents incapable of satisfying childrens needs in the fear that the child will be separated or rejected? I wonder if everyone are thinking the same, or at least most of us, why is everyone unable to show that they can do much better and different?

One more thing is important here. Parents of younger children that go to school, mostly taking on many child responsibilities, measure the importance of their child using grades, compare their child with other children, and so things go downhill very early. And then kids get the impression that school needs us (parents) and not them. And then later in schooling, this comes to light, and the problem becomes general. We get tired and the kids get confused.

First Of All, It’s Necessary To Teach Children To Recognize What’s Important.

I don’t want my children to be the best, on the contrary, just thinking about all the disadvantages of schooling, that desire disappears. It may be better to say that education is cluttered with things that have little to do with real life and the skills needed. My wish for them is to be more prepared for this real world, and that’s my focus. Besides, at the same time, I try to convince my children that school is compulsory and that they have to fulfill their obligations.

Also, as a dedicated parent, I do my best to juggle between what’s important and what’s not, teaching children to recognize it. I use the reward system when kids do something I didn’t tell them, but I wanted them to do. And the system of punishment only in the case of negligence and insolence.

Parenting As The Biggest Challenge

Talking to my friends, I have repeatedly acknowledged that parenting is a life-long challenge and almost straight to art for me. And that is because you are responsible for a life and obliged to give it your best. Also, it’s because everything you do, they observe, notice and think it’s ok. So, we teach them by example at every moment spent with them.

On the other hand, it’s hard to correct mistakes that you’re not or don’t want to be aware of until it’s too late. Being a parent means loving, babysitting, pampering, being present, knowing your child, giving them everything they need, understanding them, listening, following them, knowing exactly what their strengths and weaknesses are…

And then to support them in what they love. Also, we must help them overcome what they don’t like or don’t understand. Of course in the necessary limits and within their means. This is especially the case in parenting of school children, which is much different than before. It’s also interesting that the child’s interest to learn before school is huge. And then the question “How to motivate kids to learn” begins to be asked from the first school days. What an irony…

Talking To Kids Is Important

Talking and listening are very important. They’re the first step and the first aid when helping children to motivate themselves to learn. It’s a shortcut to everything the child feels and doesn’t say out loud. When talking, it’s important to talk little, listen more, advise less, and encourage the child to come to a conclusion and understanding. You should also ask your child daily questions about how he or she feels about school, whether it’s bothering him or her, ask how you can help, whatever comes to your mind.

So will their confidence grow, but so will their safety and interest in school. What we mustn’t forget is that there are no stupid questions, no matter what. When the conversation becomes a daily practice, everything else will be easier. It will be easier for children to relate data, draw conclusions, make decisions. Walking talk, by the way, is perhaps my strongest weapon. Also, learning and reading in nature, changing the environment… Exercising with the child’s learning techniques, helping to divide learning into stages, helping to organize time and take breaks is also important.

Examples And Involving Children Mean The World!

As much as conversation matters, the example is everything! So many times I have convinced myself that I can explain my child what to do as much as I want, but if my example was missing, nothing will change. If I didn’t do it right, nothing changes again. Because this will only confuse the child, who will no longer know why are we talking about the things that we’re not doing. “Actions, not words”.

When we as parents understand how much power our actions carry and how important they are, the smallest problem will be to explain to the child that work habits are important. Also, when we involve the child in everything we do, the child gets a sense of the way and importance of things around him/her. Nothing is as useful as a good example that involves your child.

Don’t Stand In Their Way – You Never Know What They Carry Within Themselves

As long as we consider everything related to our children as parents, we are on the right track. The moment we stop doing this, things change. The greatest resistance in children comes from the moment when it matters more to us what someone else thinks, instead of what our child thinks. Whatever the situation, our task is to want the best for our child and nurture it’s kindness.

I always think of examples of great minds who were not brilliant students, and it’s to them, their uniqueness and talent, that I should be grateful for the great changes in the world. What they had was motivation, support, a tap on the back… Imagine what would have happened if they hadn’t been believed in, how sad it would be for humanity.

It always makes me sad to think of how many gifted children have been prevented from showing as much as they can. And the ones responsible are parents, the system.… And then we all wonder how to motivate kids to learn.

Expert Word – How To Motivate Kids To Learn

– It’s the child’s responsibility to learn – This is the first step. It should happen gradually but constantly. It’s important to understand here that responsibility also means the child’s satisfaction with the achievement. Not ours.

– While having a conversation, listen to what your child is telling you – Respect his wishes, attitudes, honesty. Because if we don’t listen to what the child has to say, he’ll stop doing it, he’ll passively listen. And then everyone feels the consequences. It’s a very common parenting mistake to constantly correct, complain and advise. After that comes resistance, first passive, then active, then strife, etc. That is why listening is the best weapon. It’s an opportunity to get to your child, respect his opinion, his feelings. That way, the child gains faith in himself and learns to solve the problem alone. Sometimes their biggest riddles get solved without a word. Just listening. If they wants more than just listening, they’ll let you know.

– Support, encourage, respect, one way how to motivate kids is to learn – These three things are very important, with faith in the child’s ability to succeed in what he wants. There should be no room for condemnation and open criticism or qualification of the child. Instead, understanding, tolerance, and conversation help our child grow in self-esteem and confidence. What matters is what just few parents do, and that’s knowing how to wait and allow their child to act. Sometimes it’s more useful to ask how they’re feeling and whether we can help them than anything else. Also, when they start to cry, they should be told that it has been difficult for us too, that we’ve been there, comfort them. That’s a huge help.

– Reality vs. Perfectionism – Forcing a child to follow a rhythm that does not suit him is wrong. They will either become perfectionists or be demotivated to work. Neither is good. Let the child create their own expectations, without thinking about ours. The moment they think that we need to be satisfied and they’re unable to do that, they give up… in different ways. Because it’s easier to give up than to constantly try unsuccessfully. Being aware of the good and the bad sides of both parents and children is easier, of course, if they can handle it. Then you are in tune with the expectations and the result.

– Help is also when we teach the child to help himself/herself – Teaching a child to solve a problem, to analyze, to come to conclusions, is more important and more useful in the long run than anything else. If we solve a child’s problem every time, he won’t learn how to do it alone. And then when he does, curiosity, success, and self-belief step in.

– An example is worth more than words – Children who enjoy learning (not in school, but in general) are children who live in homes where knowledge is respected, where issues, differing opinions, and intellectual discussions are common. Talking to a child who is looking for answers, explanations and giving their opinion is a real pleasure. Such children will know how to differentiate discussion from the quarrel. They are also eager to discover something new, looking forward to visiting galleries, museums, botanicals, zoos, trying out new stuff.

– Helping your child acquire healthy habits – Habits are not something we are born with. They are created, as one of the first ones, to brush our teeth or save our bed… Repeating certain activities and devoting time to each day will help a lot.

– Studying with understanding is important – Whatever we learn by heart, except happy songs, becomes difficult, boring, pointless and short-lived. We can use that method only if something is really hard to memorize, but we should know that we’ll forget it soon. Otherwise, one should make every effort to make sense of it and try relating to everyday life and the benefits of it. The world around us is full of opportunities and ways in which something can be mastered. It gets much easier when the kids find their own.

– Avoid attracting attention with the help of grades – Be committed to your child at all times, not just when you need them. Poor grades should not be a cause for our interest and commitment. It comes first. And this is one more way on how to motivate kids to learn.

– The system of rewards and punishments – This is more about the attitude towards school and obligations and even behavior, than about success and learning. And here it’s important to remain consistent, not to threaten without really taking action and obeying your word. If we punish a child, then we should limit that sentence to him and terminate his privileges for some time. This way, the child should understand that arrogance, avarice, and failures will not be rewarded.

– School isn’t the most important thing in life – School shouldn’t be of too much importance. Some so many famous people have accomplished great things for this very reason. And school is about more than just learning. It’s friends, socializing, falling in love, tears, laughing… a whole little world where one has to find their place, which is not always easy.

Conclusion

So, the question on how to motivate kids to learn is not a task that only concerns children, parents or school and professionals. Only together, with great effort and dedication, can we achieve the goal. With working daily and giving your best. And when the system and children fail, parents shouldn’t. Because the parent is the one who has to do his best homework. That’s to motivate the child to learn because learning is one of the few things that last a lifetime.

Only if we have done our task properly the goal will be achieved. It’s not easy… If it were easy, then this world radiate harmony and knowledge. It’s not simple, but it’s worth every moment. And only when you know that you have done everything as a parent it will be easier for you to endure everything and even fail. We are all different and have our own story, so every parent has a difficult task. Our task is to find a way to do a job that no one else has done before us, neither can anyone do it for us…