Motivating Your Child

Show the link between effort, achievement

One of the greatest lessons you can teach your child is that effort pays off. Research shows that kids who think they can do something hard if they just stick with it are usually right.

Here’s how to help your child see the link between effort and outcome:

• Be a role model. Sometimes, kids think everything comes easily for parents. Say, “It’s going to be hard to finish this form for work. I’ll just keep working until it’s done.”
• Remind your child of a time when effort worked. “You studied those spelling words last week and got a 90. Your work really paid off.”
• Don’t let your child become discouraged if he doesn’t earn all A’s. Celebrate his progress.
• Help your child think of work as an investment. “It’ll take time to learn these math facts. But once you master them, you’ll know them forever.”

Reprinted with permission from the October 2007 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2007 The Parent Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: Jere Brophy, Motivating Students to Learn, ISBN: 0-805-84772-3 (Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1-800-926-6579, www.erlbaum.com).