How to Motivate Children to Do Their Best

Some children are highly self-motivated. They possess a continuous drive to give their best 100% of the time. Other children are less enthusiastic. Some children require assistance in learning to do their best, particularly at school. Life is more challenging if approached with minimal effort. Parents and teachers need to learn how to motivate children to do their best.

Learning to do your best can be a lifelong journey. It’s not always easy and some days will seem like they’re impossible, but in order for us as people, including our children, to live to our fullest potential then we must try; there is no other option!

Tips to Learn How to Motivate Children to Do Their Best

Here are some super easy suggestions to get started today on helping to motivate your children at home and at school.

1. Set a good example. Do you want your child or student to do their best? Do your best. When your child sees you making an effort to do your best, they’ll be inspired to do their best, too. It’s challenging to motivate your child to do something you’re not willing to do yourself.
2. Give praise for effort. Only acknowledging results is insufficient, especially when a child is learning a new task. Ensure that your child knows you appreciate their hard work. Teach your child that effort is as important as the final results.
3. Avoid criticizing or yelling. There’s a more effective way. If you’re displeased with your child’s behavior or effort, try this process:
   • Explain why your child’s behavior is unacceptable.
   • Communicate what you expect in the future and why your alternative is better.
   • Inform your child of the consequences if they repeat the behavior.
   • Follow through.

Educate and Be Educated

4. Ask questions. People mention what they think is important. By asking questions about your child’s or student’s school work, friends, sports, or art work, you’re demonstrating that those things are important. Your child will take them more seriously.
5. Explain the benefits and the consequences. For example, you can explain to your older child or student that if they perform well in school, they’ll have more educational choices after high school and a greater selection of careers. Failing to do well in school can result in a lifetime of low pay and unenjoyable jobs.
6. Your child needs to have a little power over their life. Allow your younger child to choose what they’ll wear for the day. Allow your teenager to choose the dinner menu. Provide choices for your students on how they complete assignments i.e. written report, comic book, video, etc. Give your children options, but allow them to make the final decision. Having control over their environment can boost their self-esteem.
7. Set your child up for success. Set goals with your child and students and ensure that those goals are accomplished. It feels good to be successful and success catalyzes future success. The goal can be easy, like reading for 20 minutes each night or eating one vegetable at dinner time. Don’t overdo it thought – after the homework, chores, and after-school activities, children deserve time to just be children.
8. Encourage persistence. Persistence is the critical component of success. When we feel uncomfortable, it’s natural to want to escape from the situation. Encourage your child to continue even if they’re struggling. It can be as simple as spending another 10 minutes on homework after they want to quit.

How Do You Motivate an Unmotivated Child?

Our children are one of the most important and precious people in our lives. We want the best for them and hope they strive to do well in all things. Children, just like adults, can develop motivational roadblocks that hold them back from achieving what they’re meant to do.

Since the inception of the Internet, television, video games, and social networking, motivating our children has gotten progressively more difficult. To have them complete schoolwork, do some chores around the house, get more involved with school activities, or even just go outside to get some fresh air can be a struggle.

It is very important to explain and educate your child and students on the benefits of a “job well done”. When students expereince that feeling of ownership and pride in their work, they become internally driven to continue to work at hard. This is called intrinsic motivation.

To motivate an unmotivated child, take a step back and look closely as to whether the student is not drive by external motivators like rewards. Focus on internal motivation for improved success.

READ MORE ON INTRINSIC MOTIVATION HERE.

How Do I Know What Will Motivate My Child Or Student?

This is a simple task. Ask them. Take a moment to ask your students about what motivates them. Is it classroom parties, extra screen time at home, prizes, good grades, times with friends, feeling pride in their work, etc. There are so many answers since every person is unique.

Take the time to ask your child or student what fuels their inner drive.

What is the Best Way to Motivate Your Child or Student?

As you are learning more about how to motivate children and students, keep in mind that providing “just right” challenges can sometimes be the best way to improve motivation. We all like to do well and not fail at tasks. Challenges need to be just hard enough to feel a sense of accomplishment but not so difficult that we fail time after time.

As a student, it can be very hard to feel motivated to do well in math if you are constantly failing every quiz. Try to offer opportunities for your students to be challenged but accomplished. This is not easy to do but the more you focus your efforts on creating “just right” challenges, your students’ motivational level should improve.

More Simple Strategies to Motivate Children

Here are some simple strategies you can use to help you motivate your children and students:

• Praise your child for their accomplishments. When your child accomplishes something, no matter how big or small, be sure to express how proud you are of them. If they know that they’ve made you happy, they’re more apt to strive to make that happen again.

• Avoid focusing on the negative. We all make mistakes, so it’s much more productive not to harp on them. You’ll receive much better results by focusing on what your child does well rather than the few mistakes they may make.

• Show pride in your child’s work. Display a good grade or report card. Placing their work on the refrigerator door, believe it or not, still works wonders! When his accomplishments are proudly displayed, he’ll be motivated to achieve as much as he possibly can.

• Brag. Call a grandparent, aunt, or uncle and tell them about your child’s recent accomplishment. When your child sees that you take the time to make a special phone call because you’re so proud, it encourages them and boosts their confidence.

Try External Motivators Like Rewards

• Use rewards. Every child likes to be rewarded for good work. You can try things like a weekly allowance or a special treat, like a movie or ice cream, as a reward for good behavior. Whatever the reward, children will strive to do their best to obtain these special treats.

• This can be used for just about anything from a good grade to washing the family dog. Children enjoy being able to receive something tangible for a job well done.

• Show sincere enthusiasm in the things your child enjoys. As a child grows, his interests may change frequently. As a parent, it’s important that you keep up with your child’s likes and dislikes.

• Sit down and talk with your child. Find out why they’re interested in certain things and how you can help them with their activities. If you show sincerity and really listen to what they’re telling you, it’ll be a big motivating factor.

• Don’t overwhelm your child with goals. Naturally, we want our children to succeed, but sometimes we can overdo it. After the homework, chores, and after-school activities, children deserve time to just be children.

• If you give them some free time to do what they want, whether it be playing video games, watching television, or anything else they choose, it will keep them motivated to do other things as well.

Don’t Give Up

Children are each unique individuals and have different interests and goals in life. Though at times their motivation may waiver, we, as parents, will be there to point them in the right direction. Using these motivation tips will make that process just a little bit easier!

Motivating your children can be challenging. It’s never easy to influence the way someone views a task or life in general. Self-motivation is empowering to a child or an adult. Children are often motivated by extrinsic rewards, mainly praise and the opinions of their peers. Praise is a valuable tool to motivate a child.

Ideally, a child will eventually learn to motivate themselves. A child becomes more independent and successful as an adult when intrinsically motivated. Later in life, praise is rare, and the need to perform for one’s peers is diminished. This is why many successful high school students struggle later in life. The extrinsic motivation is gone.

Teach your child to motivate themselves and you’ll give them a gift that will benefit them for the rest of their life.

Read more about what the research says on motivating children here.