As the kids head back to school this week following the holiday break, let’s try to remember that they’re searching for motivation the same we are when head back to work after a couple blissful weeks off at home. The kids are now in for a long haul of school work from here until June, and if we want them to excel academically we aren’t going to get very far by simply demanding they do so. Kids need motivation and reward in order to push themselves to do well.
Many parents promise their kids a treat if they get good grades; they offer to buy their children a video game, a visit to an amusement park or some other special treat for being home a great report card. But, if you find your child is struggling to get motivated during these long cold winter months of the second semester you may want to show them some tangible encouragement. For instance, instead of simply telling them you’ll buy them something if they do well at the end of the year, break it down week by week. At the end of each week you can put two or three dollars in a jar if your child went to school each day, did their homework without having to be nagged, and tried their very best on all quizzes and tests. Monitoring and rewarding them weekly will help your children stay on track in the short term instead of slacking off and then trying to pull out of a skid at the end of the year. That reward money will add up nicely and your kids will be able to buy themselves something great when school ends.