MeKnows

Summer is almost over and children have to come back to school. Most of them are quite happy about it. Two months spent on playing and travelling is a lot and most of the kids seem to be looking forward to coming back to their school duties and friends. The ones who go to the first grade seem to be particularly excited. The first month or two usually go great – there are new books and accessories, sometimes new teachers and subjects so school is basically fun. Then young students slowly get bored and some of them lose their motivation completely.

The problem is serious and it doesn’t only concern the children who are not very good at learning, even thought lack of motivation can be caused by lack of success of course. Unfortunately even if our kids are successful at school they can lose motivation for many various reasons. In such case it is the parents, not anyone else who should help the young people – the sooner the better. But how can parents help their children with getting the positive attitude and good will back?

A child that doesn’t want to go to school and doesn’t want to learn will probably show hostility towards us when we force them to stick to their duties. Since there is no other choice and the kids have to go to school we have to try to make it as nice as possible for our little one. I am not talking about spoiling them with buying expensive school equipment but to encourage them a bit with little pleasures. It can be something small we buy especially for them like a hairpin our little girl can wear proudly at school or a Spiderman T-shirt our boy would like to show off. You can also prepare something nice to eat for them in the morning, something they particularly like. Then give them something delicious for second breakfast.

When it comes to learning itself, you should never criticize your child. Always help them with homework and don’t get angry when they don’t know something they should. Slowly and calmly explain the issue to them just as if it was new to them. Don’t do their homework for them, but be around to give them advice anytime and then check if everything is ok. Be interested in what they learn, stay on track when it comes to the program so you can always help your children. When they see that even their parents are so involved in their school problems they will treat their education more seriously.

What about praising? Some parents love to praise their children for every single thing. I would say we should do it but only when they really deserve it. I also don’t like bribing like ‘you will go to school and I will buy you a computer’ – it never works. The best method is to praise really big successes and what is more important – our children’s personal successes. My point is the child has to know that they have achieved something; they have to realize it and not only hear it from their parents. Some mothers and fathers buy their children big things like doll houses or fixed gear bikes. It is not necessary. It is better to buy smaller things. If your kid has a computer buy them a mini mouse, of they love their game console, buy a new game for them.

There are also other methods and all of them along with the ones I mentioned work under one condition. We have to show our children that we love them. Let us not assume the kids know it, they just have to hear it and feel it. Their way of thinking is simpler than ours – ‘if they don’t tell me they love me plus they force me to do things I don’t want to, they don’t love me at all’ – that is what your child thinks. And if they think like this, we will never be able to help them.