Helpful tips on Motivation for Kids

"When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps."
– Confucius

Even as adults we go through time’s we just can’t get motivated to complete a task. The goal may seem too hard and too far away to reach. Therefore, motivation for kids to stay focussed on their goals is their key to success.

It is the same for children of all ages. Don’t just blame a lack of effort, as it takes us all time to learn new ways of doing things like goal setting. Therefore, maintaining the motivation for kids to continue to focus on the goal is the key for their success.

In order to sustain the level of motivation for kids, look to adjust the actions you may have set up for them. In doing so, help them feel the goal is more achievable. You can make the goal more achievable by breaking it into smaller goals and changing the frequency from every day to every third day.

You may also look to other ways improving the level of motivation for kids through your daily interactions and conversations. By encouraging their sense of control and improving their problem solving abilities, you can increase their level of internal motivation.

Here are 4 Helpful tips on Motivation for Kids:

1. Encourage children to find their own answers

A curious child is a motivated one. Next time you child asks a question and they expect you to have the answer, try this approach- “That is a really great question. How do you think we can figure this out?". This will help in improving the motivation for kids to find out the answers and help in building curiosity for the world around them.
With setting goals together, get the child to develop their own list with you so they don’t feel it is just a tiresome chore list to complete each day.

2. Acknowledge struggle to sustain motivation for kids

Instead of jumping to help your child who can complete a task or setting a new goal, let them try to think for themselves first and build their confidence along the way.
It is important to acknowledge their struggle in a supportive way but encourage them to find a solution themselves.

3. Offering choices improves motivation for kids and decision making

Do this by offering two equally acceptable options? Where you can, this will help build your child’s self-control. For example, "Would you like to clean your room now or after your bath?" Or "Would you like to read your book now or at bedtime?". When kids make decisions, they reaffirm that they are in control. This works for goal setting as well. This is because the child feels more invested in the outcome.

4. Don’t jump in with immediate solutions

This is one of the hardest ones to master, as we all like to jump in with helpful solutions. Instead of rushing into solution mode, let your child think more deeply about the solution by asking open ended questions, like, "How did that make your feel?", "How do you think the other person is feeling?", "What do you think might help solve the issue?", or "What can you do next time to achieve this goal in another way?". This will help the kids to find their own solutions and develop problem solving abilities.

Remember, positive feedback provides motivation to do it again the next time. It helps lead kids to continue to try over the long haul. The incentive of having positive experiences and outcomes can keep them working despite hurdles and maintain the level of motivation for kids to learn.

For More information please see: How to motivate your child? (See www.noguiltmom.com)

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