Every child is different. We all know it, but do we really believe it in more than just a theory?
I Home School, so I have seen just how different my children's learning styles are. Litte P and Little E started Kindergarten the same year, and wow. They are so different, it is unreal. Little E learned how to write his name at 3, and Little P was still struggling at 6. Little E loved to draw and color as soon as he was able to hold a crayon, Little P would scribble for 2 seconds and yell "Done!"
So how do you motivate them? If you push something too hard it can become a battleground and then no one really wins. The parent is frustrated, the child is confused, and no one learns anything. Parenting is not about control, it is about teaching our children to be a self controlled, successful person. Yet, how can you judge success? Shouldn't it be different for each person?
Sometime it can be tricky. Little P for example seems impossible to motivate in school work. He can sit twirling his pencil, or retracing the same word forever!
So now the big question, how do I motivate the one who doesn't want to be motivated?
I Home School, so I have seen just how different my children's learning styles are. Litte P and Little E started Kindergarten the same year, and wow. They are so different, it is unreal. Little E learned how to write his name at 3, and Little P was still struggling at 6. Little E loved to draw and color as soon as he was able to hold a crayon, Little P would scribble for 2 seconds and yell "Done!"
So how do you motivate them? If you push something too hard it can become a battleground and then no one really wins. The parent is frustrated, the child is confused, and no one learns anything. Parenting is not about control, it is about teaching our children to be a self controlled, successful person. Yet, how can you judge success? Shouldn't it be different for each person?
Sometime it can be tricky. Little P for example seems impossible to motivate in school work. He can sit twirling his pencil, or retracing the same word forever!
So now the big question, how do I motivate the one who doesn't want to be motivated?
- Be Smart
Not every battle is worth the fight. Sometimes a child pushes back just to push and have control over something. Pick your battles wisely. Is it really a big deal if they colour the dog blue when they are 2? Choose what is worth fighting. Keep in mind, bad habits are harder to break the longer they are kept. It is worth woking hard on pencil holding and hand position while writing. It may not be worth fighting every battle. Ask your self if this is a potential bad habit, or just a phase.
- Be Encouraging
- Be Rewarding
- Be Loving
- Be Easy On Yourself
