Important exams can almost be as hard on parents as they are on pupils. It is a stressful time and young people deal with it in different ways while parents become stressed about their child fulfilling their potential. Too often children can become disheartened with their education at a crucial time instead of making a final push to achieve the exam results which will hold them in good stead for the future. Here are a few tips on how to motivate your children to achieve in their important exams and studies in general.
Be Careful with Praise
There has been a lot of talk in the past few years about ‘fixed mindset’ – this varies from experts calling for absolutely no praise for young people to more measured approaches. The idea is that leading people to believe that certain minds are designed to either excel or not cope with certain subjects hampers their progress. Therefore, offering some praise such as ‘you’re so smart’ suggests they have done well not because of hard work but because they are naturally talented. The take home message behind this should be to offer in encourage but also merit the hard work behind the achievement rather than the end result.
Use your Experience
Think about what worked for you when you were young and what works for you now to promote hard work. You can also use examples of other people you know who have done well in life. Setting real examples of achievement will help your child aim at tangible goals.
Dangle the Right Carrot
Using celebrities as role models is often not the right route. It may be more helpful to point to more immediate outcomes to their success. For example, good exam results means they can go to their first choice of university. Show them the posh student accommodation provided by Urbanest they could be living in come September. Alternatively, explain to them the perks of a job which is dependent on hard work and good qualifications.
Instil a Sense of Work/Life Balance
Work/life balance is all about enjoying your leisure time knowing that you have earned it. It is also about not letting working commitments burn you out. In short, it’s about having a healthy attitude to both. Develop the sense that leisure time needs to be earned.
Set a Structure
The best way to prepare your children for the real world is to set structure. A full, healthy night’s sleep is the cornerstone of this and playing computer games or staring at screens too close to bedtime is detrimental to a good sleep routine. Set a study schedule together and factor in leisure time.
All the aforementioned tips are set around encouraging hard work. When hard work is rewarded by good grades and praise for the hard work the motivation should come naturally.
I’m all there on the theory making it work is another matter!