Modern children have a lot of workload – especially at school. Students have many lessons every day, and there are various extracurricular activities and clubs, so they sometimes stay at school for too long. When they get home, they have a huge amount of homework in all subjects.
Considering that most students are determined to succeed and try to study well, it is very difficult for them to compete with each other.
The point is that every student understands that their efforts in studying throughout their school life determine their admission to college, getting a prestigious profession, and their future career. Therefore, everyone tries to study well and achieve maximum results.
However, this is not always so. There are cases when students lose interest and motivation to study, do not want to make an effort, try to cheat, and skip school.
There are those who are too lazy to do homework. Fortunately, they can always ask, “Do my assignment” at special writing services and get their homework done without much effort.
It happens that students are simply bored, have found more fun activities, or do not see the point in education in general. What should parents do in such a situation? In this article, we will discuss how to make a child study better.
Should You Force Your Child to Study?
The first thought of responsible parents in such a situation is that you need to force them. Many children have heard such phrases from their parents more than once: “Do it right now,” “It’s your responsibility,” “If you don’t study, you’ll be punished,” and others.
Mom and Dad often scare teenagers out of helplessness, telling them that they will never succeed in life and will not be able to earn good money without high grades. This scheme works for some – there are children who are very attached to their parents, so they simply do what is required of them.
However, this does not mean that they go to school with pleasure at all. Often, students simply cram material for a grade, and nothing remains in their heads.
As experienced psychologists and teachers say, you should not force children to study. You will not achieve anything with threats, prohibitions, punishments, and conflicts.
Even if you will, it will be ineffective for the students themselves. It is much better to understand the reason – why the student refuses to go to class and why school life is so difficult for them. Sometimes, the reason is not the lack of desire to learn. Some feel uncomfortable at school because of their classmates, some can’t get along with teachers, but of course, there are those who are just lazy.
Parents should figure out what’s going on, and if everything is okay, help the child regain the motivation to study. Explain to the teenager that their admission to a college, getting a profession, career, and therefore wealth depend on studying at school. Fundamental knowledge will help achieve success.
Another argument can be that the student can do their homework much faster if they study well. If they understand the topic at school, they will do their homework more efficiently. However, if the topic is too difficult for your child, it is better to get help from special services.
For example, a student may leave a “write my essay online” request and receive a paper sample from a professional writer. In this way, they will see how to deal with this or that topic efficiently, how to structure a paper, and what sources to use.
How to Motivate a Child to Study: Types of Motivation
Scientists divide motivation, that is, the desire to achieve a set goal, into several types. Among them are the following:
- Internal – this is self-organization, the student’s internal desire to study because they know what they want.
- External – studying for the sake of praise or for buying them a promised thing.
- Positive – efforts are aimed at getting praise at any cost.
- Negative – efforts are aimed at avoiding punishment or deprivation of something.
There are also mixed types. The strongest and most effective motivation is internal positive. It allows the child to study independently without the “carrot and stick.” Such a student understands why they are studying, how much effort they need to put in for the desired effect, and what their ultimate goal is.
There is nothing wrong with external motivation, either. If a student studies for the sake of praise, gifts, or extra attention, this is also effective. The fact is that over time, teenagers develop internal motivation within themselves, which further moves them. No matter what type of motivation a student has, the most important thing is that it exists.
With small children, everything is simpler. A first-grader is interested in learning new things, communicating with new children, and understanding the system. By the time they reach senior grades, children are already losing interest in school because they have other interests. Therefore, forcing a teenager to study is a difficult task.
Parents should help teenagers decide who they want to become in the future, what college they need to enroll in, and what specialty to choose. The help and support of the family will allow the student to choose their life path calmly and confidently.
