As parents we expect our children to do well in all spheres of life. However, we may put our child under the burden of unnecessary expectations. These expectations may sometimes create an aversion from studies. Therefore, what should you do to encourage your child to study without causing a protest? The following article explains how to make your child interested in studying.
Best Ways to Motivate your Kids to Study
In today’s world where everyone wishes to excel, we, as parents, also face undue stress to encourage our kid to study well and perform well in academics too. We will discuss the best ways of encouraging children to learn and study:
1. Sit With Your Kid
The best thing that you can do as a parent for motivating your kid to study is by sitting with him when he sits for studying. However, refrain from using your mobile or laptop. Instead, do your pending office work or read a book.
2. Lay Stress on Learning and Not Grades
Though good grades are important to score, if your kid is struggling with getting good grades, it will be a good idea to shift his focus to learning. Ask him about day to day activities in the class and what he learnt in the class.
3. Be on Your Kid’s Side
Do not put pressure on your kid to score well or get better grades. Be nice and gentle with him and try and understand things from his perspective. Try to make your kid responsible towards his studies in a positive manner, as any kind of negativity may make a rebel out of him and this could make him relent and defy you.
4. Discuss Studies
Talk to kid about what he did in every subject in the class on each day. Asking him about it will keep him more alert in the class. Know about his favourite subject, favourite class and favourite teacher too.
5. Make a Study Schedule
Anything that is followed and done in a systematic manner always yield a positive outcome and the same goes for studies. Make a schedule and adhere to it. Studying does not require doing homework only rather you should keep time for revising the concepts and lessons taught in the class on each day.
6. Create Environment for Studying
Make sure there are no distractions such as loud noises, television, and another sibling playing etc. in the close vicinity of where your child sits for studying. A child has an extremely low attention span and may get easily distracted and loses interest in studies.
7. Talk to the Teacher
If you notice that your child has bad grades in a particular subject or is hesitant to study a subject, you may get in touch with the concerned teacher. Together, the teacher and the parents can make strategies to develop a kid’s interest in that subject or improve the grades.
8. Follow Your Kid’s Learning Style
It is very important that you understand what kind of a learner your kid is, and that is, auditory, visual or kinesthetic. You may adopt study schedule based on your kid’s preference.
9. Make Study Goals Together
It is a good idea to set goals that achievable and can be achieved with dedication and hard work. You may make short term, medium-term and long term studying goals with your kid so that he stays motivated and also can track his progress.
10. Listen to Their Opinion
It is very important to listen and respect your child’s opinions even if at times you feel he is incorrect. Letting your kid voice his opinion on various subjects helps to build his confidence. Tell your kid to give proper reasoning for his arguments as well.
11. Help Them Learn From Failure
Failures are a part of life and are not the end of the world. Even if your kid gets low grades, refrain from scolding or comparing him to his friends or peers. He may already be feeling too low. Encourage and empathise with your kid and tell him it is okay to make mistakes and learn from them.
12. Make Your Child More Involved
It will be a good idea to involve your kid into buying his studying material like study table, stationery, the table cover or many other things that your kid associates with studying. This way your kid feels more involved and this may trigger his interest in studying too.
13. Refrain From Lecturing Your Child
All parents want to protect and do the best for their children. This may often lead to lecturing their kids about what is right and what is wrong with them. Refrain from doing this, as too much verbal bashing may eventually lead to disinterested kids. Give crisp and clear instruction to your kid rather than scolding, manipulation or threatening them.
14. Acknowledge All Achievements
Everyone likes a pat on his back every now and then, and so do the kids. It is very important that you acknowledge and appreciate even the smallest achievement of your kid. This not only makes him happy but keeps him motivated to do well.
15. Reading Habit
It is very important that you instil a reading habit in your kid. It is often seen that kids who enjoy reading usually like studying too. You may lead by example and create a conducive environment in your house, or even better you may make a reading schedule.
16. Be Firm and Disciplined
Being disciplined and firm in your teaching ways are suggested. Though that does not mean that you become manipulative and demanding. The key is to strike the perfect balance is to create a positive and conducive studying atmosphere at home.
17. Refrain From Bribing Your Child
Appreciation and reward are a positive aspect of inculcating good studying habit in a child. However, you should avoid bribing your kid. This may solve a problem temporarily and may not interest your kid to study with passion.
18. Try Storytelling
You may develop your kid’s interest in studying by constructive storytelling. You may tell him moral stories that lay stress on the importance of studies and education in life.
19. Make Study Time a Fun Time
Parents often make a mistake by punishing their children and then telling them to study. Children assume that it is their parent’s way of punishing them. You can make study time a fun time and tell your kid’s to enjoy it. Spend more time studying together rather than leaving your kid alone in the room for studying.
20. Help Your Kid
Help your kid whenever he requires it or gets stuck up somewhere with his lessons. Do not get angry if he asks to clear his doubt number of times. Be patient and gentle with your kid’s doubts and queries.
Do not let your kid feel tensed or stressed while studying, as this attitude may make him despise studying altogether. Encourage and pep up your child’s morale and confidence at every stage for him to come out as a go-getter.
