motivating children Archives - Mother 2 Mother Blog

Motivating Children and Getting Them Out of a Funk

April 17, 2017 by Rhonda Gales Leave a Comment

Today’s your lucky day. I’m sharing parenting tips on motivating children. Do your kids need a bit more motivation in their lives? These days, it can be hard for school age kids to stay focused on academics and household chores. If there were tips that helped kids try harder in school, you’d want to know all about them, right?

A few tricks that worked for other parents

Every mom and dad wants their child to thrive. However, kids experience phases when they simply don’t feel motivated. Trouble is kids don’t always ask for help in such times. Fortunately, we’re going to tell you about some proven methods that are sure to help your kid feel more like themselves. Don’t expect a miracle, but do enjoy the results.

Kids who become frustrated easily may be especially reluctant to tell their parents what’s going on. Start a friendly conversation with your child, and be quiet when they speak. Listening is an important tool in your parental strategy. All kids want to know that they are being heard. Let your kid know that they can talk to you about anything at any time. Doing so may help your kid have a more positive outlook on life in general, says Tutor Doctor.

Little changes and small successes

Creating a pleasant homework space where your kid doesn’t feel pressured may help them focus and enjoy schoolwork more. Spruce up a cozy space and fill it with reference books. Furthermore, decorate the walls with posters of their favorite music groups. Stock the desk with plenty of office supplies. Homework can be fun if your kid doesn’t feel pressured.

Don’t overdo it to the point of insincerity, but be sure to praise your kid often. Celebrating small successes like a B grade on an important test can help an unmotivated kid realize their past accomplishments. It may also motivate them to even more important successes. Praise often to encourage more of the same.

Optimism and artwork

If you approach life with optimism and forge ahead despite setbacks and disappointments, your kid may take a similar positive approach. Encourage your kids to persist in the face of absurdity. Encourage them to laugh every time you can. Allow your child to fail gracefully. Doing so may help them move through life in a more balanced and happier way, say parenting pros at the Child Development Institute.

Encourage art in your kid’s life. Permit them to download a free coloring book app and watch their mood improve exponentially. Kids who engage in artistic and musical endeavors tend to fare better and may use their “blue mood” to create beautiful works of art.

Give Them a Challenge

Sometimes, kids get into a funk because they don’t feel challenged enough. They believe any school project given to them is easy. Unfortunately, this means they will look for distractions once they have finished the work, which can impact behavior and affect others. The result is a total lack of motivation to do anything school-related. Especially, if they are being reprimanded for their behavior.

You can help them overcome this behavior by working with their teachers or coaches to give them a challenge. If they have shown an aptitude for more advanced material, introduce your kids to it. You can use a word finder activity if they seem capable of cracking word puzzles. Kids who have a passion for advanced Math can tackle more complicated formulas ahead of their grade. Even if the initial activities are too challenging, you can adjust the difficulty until you find something suitable.

Everyone feels down in the dumps now and then. But, with your encouragement and our tips on motivating children, your kids may adjust and cope with life’s little disappointments. If a “funk” lasts for more than a few days, consult your pediatrician or family doctor.

Filed Under: Health Tagged With: inspiring children, motivating children, parenting tips

Teaching Children Responsibility

September 29, 2015 by Rhonda Gales 2 Comments

Today, I’m sharing parenting advice on teaching children responsibility. Teaching children responsibility starts at an early age and it starts at home. A child learning to be responsible will increase their chances of being successful. So, my daughter and I had many conversations on why it was important. Furthermore, I demonstrated negative results when being responsible wasn’t taken seriously.

You can teach your children how to be responsible for with my tips. They been tested with my own child, and they work.

Teaching Children Responsibility:

Assigning Chores

First, this task includes putting toys away, helping with dishes, cleaning their room and eventually getting a job round the age of 16 for the summer. Yep my daughter had a job. Did she need to work, no. I could financially support us without a struggle. However, it was a great way for her to learn about what it takes to hold down a job and build confidence. Getting to bed timely, getting up timely and reporting on time is a life long lesson. Additionally, these skills need to be learned and embraced. Doing chores also included going to school and doing home work. In my home you either go to school or get a job.

Playing Team Sports/Activities

Next, I put my daughter in organized activities at the age of 3. It was a little majorette group with drummers, so cute. At the age of 5, we switched to ballet. Ballet dancing requires discipline, and so does being successful in life. Organized sports or activities can include football, soccer, basketball, cheerleading, volleyball, whatever your child likes. If your child is not into sports, try a painting or karate class. The important thing is that they learn about discipline and being a team player.

Volunteer Work

Also, doing volunteer work is a good way to learn about responsibility. Feeding the homeless, working at a food bank, reading to seniors at a nursing home is a good start. If they like farming, horses or gardening, have them volunteer on a farm or equestrian center. And, doing community service is a plus on college applications too.

Serving As A Role Model

Furthermore, being a role model can be rewarding. Children learn about leadership, and the importance of setting an example so others will want to follow their lead. Being a tutor, mentor, active in the church etc. makes a great community role model.

Having A Role Model

Most importantly, being your child’s role model is just as important as teaching them to be a role model. Children look at everything we do. We just think they aren’t listening. Furthermore, it’s important that your child see you doing the things that you wan them to do. For example, reading, taking courses on-line or at your local university, cleaning, cooking, handling money wisely, and most importantly spending time with them. It’s important that boys have a positive male as a role model and girls have a positive female as a role model.

Finally, how do you teach your children responsibility? Do you use the same techniques for your sons and daughters? We would love to add your tips to our list. As we know, what works for one doesn’t necessarily work for the other.

Finally, motivate your child with our chore charts. We have ballerina, football, basketball, a princess, princess castle and superman. You can download the charts here. So, print them and lets start getting those room cleans, toys put away and everything else on their lists. Check back, I will be adding other charts.

Filed Under: Parenting Tips Tagged With: child responsibility, motivating children, parenting tips

Coach Motives Kids In Cemetary – WTH?

October 1, 2011 by Rhonda Gales

Parents of a JV football team in a New York town are livid. Why? They lost a game, and the coach thought a good motivator would be to take the team to a cemetary on the way home. Lesson to be learned? I have no idea. His explanation was that Denzel Washington used the cemetary to motivate his football team in the movie Remember the Titans and he tried to adopt the idea.

Dah! What happened to having a conversation with the children? I really worry about our children and the education system in this country tonight. Some educators don’t seem to think and some don’t seem to care. The coach instructed the driver to pull over and demanded that the 24 players lay down between 2 rows of graves. The lesson that he was trying to teach the children supposely was about the importance of playing hard. How he connected a cemetary to that idea is beyond me. Play hard or die?

Can you image the horror those kids must have been feeling. He told the parents, “My only thought was to bring them to a realization of what a great thing it is to be able to play football with your friends, and how great it would be to work hard and triumph the following Saturday.”

The coach was suspended 2 weeks. He did offer his resignation; however, the school board refused to accept it. Apparently he is a good teacher and is well liked. The school board thought he just made a poor decision.

I hope none of the children suffer any negative repercussions as a result of this ploy. If your child had been involved would you have demanded his resignation?