Ever feel like getting your child to read a textbook is like asking them to clean their room? Suddenly, they’re too tired, too busy, or have mysteriously lost all their energy.
Ever wonder why kids can sit in front of a screen for hours without blinking but act like reading a textbook is as exhausting as carrying all the grocery bags in one trip?
The struggle is real, but the good news is, there’s a way to get them interested without resorting to endless nagging or last-minute promises of snacks.
Having two children and supporting other children, I have pulled out enough hair to find ways and means to motivate them to learn.
Of course, there is no one-size-fits-all method, but it works for the majority of them, and I am happy with the results so far.
Best of all, parents do not need to nag or yell till they are teens. I bet you do not want that as a parent to be still hand-holding your child when they are teens.
Motivation is never an easy task to work on a human and trust me, having external motivation is not a long-term solution.
The motivation dies off as fast as a battery would last, and you need to recharge it repeatedly, which is tiring.
So I used the MAP technique to help the children stay motivated. What is MAP?
M — Mastery
Discuss how autonomy allows children to feel in control of their learning, fostering intrinsic motivation.
Being on a mastery journey means setting specific, challenging, yet attainable goals with your child. Many times, the parents set the goals, not the children themselves. Other times, they feel overwhelmed.
How we parents can support our children in setting goals without overwhelming them or feeling pressurised is to
- Set realistic expectations
- Break up into manageable steps
- Be flexible and adaptable by periodically assessing the child’s progress
A — Autonomy
It’s really tiring to always remind your child to do homework or review for exams. Come on, the child has to learn how to take responsibility for the role they play as students.
I do not foresee myself always yelling at them to do it. Hence, since they were young, I have guided them and encouraged them to make choices about their learning.
Here’s what I did:
1. Allow them to make their own choices.
I get it. Sometimes, their choices are not what parents like, but having them make their own decisions allows them to develop self-discipline and problem-solving skills.
2. Assign age-appropriate responisibilities
I see the power in this, as I have noticed that now my children are more independent than rely on me to help them. They are able to complete their homework without my supervision and take care of their own rooms without me reminding them to do it.
3. Allow mistakes and encourage perseverance
This is a tough one. Subconsciously, as parents, we try to steer them to the “right” choice so that they can avoid mistakes. But without making mistakes, they won’t be able to develop the resilience they need when they encounter failures in the future and will eventually create a fear of failure.
Children in this protective environment will not be well prepared to navigate complex situations when in their adulthood.
Allow your child to experience the consequences of making mistakes so that they learn to build self-worth and resilience to handle challenges independently.
P — Purpose
We do things for a purpose. While we provide our children with guidance and support, we also explain to them why we do what we do.
We often tell children that getting good results will give them a chance to go to a good school and then get a good job with good pay. But children do not understand why that is so important and why they have to go through all these “sufferings” to get that good stuff.
Here are the strategies I employed to instil a sense of purpose in learning and help them understand better.
1. Connect learning to real-life scenarios
Do that helps children see the practical applications of their knowledge.
For example, imagine explaining to your child how the science they’re learning in school could help them become a wildlife conservationist, protecting endangered animals and their habitats.
Or showing them how speaking another language could lead to exciting adventures abroad, making friends from different cultures, or even working for international companies.
These real-world connections can suddenly make subjects like science or language learning feel much more exciting and relevant to their lives and dreams.
2. Implementing project-based learning
This allows children to explore topics of interest, fostering a deeper connection to the material and encouraging self-directed learning. This approach enhances understanding and develops critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
3. Highlight how learning can improve future career prospects
This will mainly be useful and motivate older children and teenagers. By illustrating how academic achievements can translate into exciting career paths, parents and educators can help children envision a future where their current efforts have tangible rewards.
We all want the best for our children, and I personally do my best to create as nurturing an environment as I can for them, not just academically but also for their personal well-being.
The MAP technique isn’t just a method; it’s a way to empower our children with the confidence, creativity, and resilience they need to succeed in an ever-changing world, especially now with social media, the more we should develop them.
So, let’s embark on this journey together and see its transformative impact on our children’s educational and growing-up journeys into adulthood.