Motivation - 4 Ways for Parents to Motivate Kids from an Expert

How do you motivate kids when they say, "I can't, I don't know how, It's too hard?" I sent this question to the public. This mother, author, and counselor sent 4 excellent parenting tips you'll want to use with your kids. 

Motivation - 4 Ways for Parents to Motivate Kids from Cynthia Jett:

"When I thought about what I used to motivate my five year old, I came up with little more than the tried and true carrot and stick approaches. No dessert unless you pick your things (stick), or your can earn a gold star if you help Mommy with laundry (carrot). But then I thought about the issue a little more broadly, and began to think about how we can teach kids to be self-motivated over the course of their lives (I am a psychotherapist, by the way). I came up with the following suggestions:

1. Teach children to set goals. Working toward a goal gives a child a sense of purpose and his own effectiveness. I like what an earlier writer said about setting the bar low at first to encourage success.

2. Encourage child to be proactive during times of adversity. Rather than wait out a bad situation, encourage children to do something about it. This will help them to feel they have control over their lives as they get older.

3.Practice helping others. Altruistic acts are great for kids's self-esteem, and they also teach a child that he can effect positive change in the world.

4. Challenge negative thinking. Negative thinking undermines initiative and self-motivation. Look for black and white thinking and the words "never, always, no one," and "everyone." Some examples might be "No one will ever like me," (Why take the initiative to make friends?) or "I always fail at math" (Why try?) Discuss with your child why blanket statements like this are simply untrue. Reframe their thinking to more accurately reflect reality."

- From Cynthia Jett author of the children's book, Harry the Happy Caterpillar Grows: Helping ChildrenAdjust to Change Her website is: http://harrythehappycaterpillar.com

Cynthia gave us a wealth of information to use.  She is a very knowledgeable and helpful counselor who really cares about kids. 

When Cynthia said, teach children to set goals, I thought about my Goal-Setting Kit and how it teaches parents in step-by-step details how to help kids do just that.

What Do You Think of Cynthia Jett's Ideas for Motivating Kids?

Please make a comment in the comment link below.

With warm wishes,

Jean

Jean Tracy, MSS

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