Tickles and Time Outs: Motivational Monday! How to Motivate Your Kids to Have a Rockin' School Year

Monday, August 11, 2014

Motivational Monday! How to Motivate Your Kids to Have a Rockin' School Year

Back to school is such an exciting time!

It is a time for

new beginnings,

new classes,

new experiences

new friendships,

new attitude,

and a new chapter of your child's life.

Going back to school can bring up many feelings for kids-excitement, curiosity, but also fear. They may wonder what their teachers will be like, where they will sit on the bus, or if the kids will like them. If your child says that they are nervous about school, you can tell them that being nervous is actually a GOOD thing because it means that they care!

So, how can you channel all these feelings into enthusiasm and excitement?

It's EASY!

1. Create Goals. This is especially helpful for older kids but can be used for younger kids in a simpler way. Younger kids may be excited to learn to read and make new friends while older kids may be motivated to get on honor roll or start a new sport. What's important is that these goals are your child's goals...not yours.

2. Be careful not to focus on their worries too much. While it's important to allow kids to to express their concerns to you, be careful not to focus on it too much. The more you talk about their fears, the more they think they really do have something to be fearful about. This is why dog trainers tell dogs "no" when they are scared of a thunderstorm. If you cater to the dog then the dog will think that they really do need protection from the storm.

3. Create a homework station. Encourage your child to create a space that they can use for completing homework. Check out The Happier Homemaker post about giving a child a desk makeover.

The important thing is to make it fun but also ask them to think about what setting they can focus best and how they can be most productive while doing homework.