Motivating Your Kids to Succeed In School!
Written by: Succès Scolaire
Learning is a positive experience―or at least, it should be! Learning is discovering and gaining new knowledge, taking up new challenges daily, and acquiring the tools and skills necessary to succeed in both our personal and professional lives. Learning is a gift we give ourselves… not a chore we do to please our parents.
As parents, we may feel like we lack the tools to inspire our children when we notice a drop in their school motivation. Here are three winning strategies to apply in these situations:
1. Give Value to School and Education
Encourage your children by sharing positive school experiences with them, whether by telling them about the teacher who instilled your love of reading, or about how much you enjoyed your time on the student council.
Talk to your kids: ask them about their likes and dislikes. It’s easier to help if you understand the source of their disinterest or discouragement.
- Do they feel like they aren’t learning enough?
- Is the workload too much for them to handle?
- Do they love some subjects and find others are a bore?
- Do they feel like what they’re learning won’t be useful in the future?
- Are they having problems with any teachers or classmates?
There are countless learning opportunities within reach:
- Visiting your local library or bookstore;
- Playing board games;
- Mixing work and play during your family outings: going on a nature walk, visiting the museum or exploring your city’s historical district all offer great learning potential;
- Adding documentaries to your movie night selection.
2. Link their Skills to Everyday life
Show them how every school subject can be useful in their life, even it doesn’t seem like it at first. Here are a few examples:
- “Math teaches you logical thinking, a skill you’ll need to find solutions to your problems in life.”
- “Literacy skills help you to express your ideas clearly. Think about how useful this will be during job interviews when you have to explain why you are perfect for the job!”
- “I know you love to travel; learning another language makes it easier and amazing! It will also open up countless doors on the job market.”
3. Set Clear and Realistic Goals
If your children’s objectives are unclear, the results can’t be as good as they would be had they settled for a specific goal. And setting unrealistic objectives might just discourage your kids instead of motivating them.
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The Do’s and Don’ts When Setting Goals |
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Objectives to avoid |
Clear objectives to reach |
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Increase my grade average |
Get my grade average above 70% |
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Read more books |
Read one book per week |
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Do more sports |
Exercise 1 hour/day, at least 4 days/week |
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Study more |
Rewrite my class notes neatly and study a little every week instead of waiting on the eve of my exams |
Explain to your kids that the knowledge they gain in school will help them achieve their dreams. For instance, an aspiring physiotherapist will need to pass his or her secondary 5 advanced mathematics, along with chemistry and physics. After high school, good grades will be needed in CEGEP to get accepted into to the University of his or her choice! The prospect of leading any life they want if they persevere in school may give your kids the right motivation to meet the challenge!
What if I Fail to Motivate my Child?
If, despite your best efforts, your child still lacks motivation or even regresses, the situation should be taken seriously. If you need help, don’t hesitate to call your child’s teachers or hire a tutor. They’ll know how to help out.
