Motivating Your Child

Motivate your child to succeed with three proven strategies

Some children have the confidence to tackle any challenge. Others seem defeated before they ever start. What makes the difference?

Researcher Jacquelynne Eccles has looked at the qualities that help children believe they can succeed. To instill confidence in your child, try the three things she suggests:

1. Give your child challenging, but doable tasks. An eight-year-old probably can’t cook an entire dinner for the family. But a child that age could set the table or make the salad. As you are doing work around the house, ask yourself if your child could do some part of the task. Your child will feel great—and you’ll get the job done. You’ll also help your child develop the “I can give it a try” attitude that leads to success in school.
2. Teach your child how to do new things. People used to throw kids into the water hoping they’d figure out how to swim. Usually, they just learned that they hated water. So show your child how to do a job. Then help him do it the first time.
3. Let him do it himself. That’s the same way a teacher helps kids learn new things in the classroom.

Reprinted with permission from the December 2007 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2007 The Parent Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: Jacquelynne S. Eccles, “Familes, Schools and Developing Achievement-Related Motivations and Engagement,” in Joan E. Grusec and Paul Hastings, Handbook of Socialization, ISBN: 1-593-85332-7 (Guilford Press, 1-800-365-7006, www.guilford.com).