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TIPS For Families |
Written by: Cixin Wang,
MA, Graduate Research Assistant &Maria
de Guzman, PhD, Adolescent Development Extension Specialist Whether it is in
academics, after-school activities or other endeavors, your teens might
sometimes display a lack of interest or motivation. As
a parent, there are some things you can try to help your teens. 1.
Find the reason. Adolescents might lose interest in school or other
endeavors for various reasons – it might be because the work is too hard or
too easy for them. It might be indicative of too much pressure in other areas
or peer influence. Having an open talk with your teens and finding out what
they need should be the first thing you want to do. 2.
Emphasize ownership of their intelligence and skills. Let your teenagers
know that
intelligence and skills are malleable – that there is a large potential to
cultivate and build on them. They are in charge of their intelligence and
skills as long as they are willing to try – even if it is harder for some
than others 3.
Facilitate their passions and interests. Parents need to enter their
teenager’s world, find out what their interests and passions are, and then
find a way to build on them. This includes listening without judgment and
offering assistance and support. 4.
Honoring Unique Learning Styles. Not
every person learns in the same way. It is important that be given an opportunity
to explore a variety of ways to successfully accomplish a homework task or
do a term project 5.
Emphasize responsibility. Communicate
with your child that while we sometimes feel unmotivated or uninterested,
there are some things that we simply have to do out of responsibility/duty
– this is especially true for school. Very few students (even successful ones)
are 100% interested in 100% of their classes. Sometimes – you just need to
get things done even you are not 100% interested
because that is your responsibility. 7.
Willing to help. Of course, it goes
without saying that offering unconditional support to your teen who is unmotivated
increases their self-esteem and confidence. If you wish to
leave feedback about this TIPS for Families, click on the TIPS Feedback
Form at the bottom of the page. For more information on Parenting go
to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension publication website
at www.ianrpub.unl.edu and
click on Families. Battle,
S. J.(2002). Motivating the underachiever. from
http://www.about-underachieving-teens.com/motivate-underachievers.hml Dweck,
C. S. (2002).Messages that motivate: How praise molds
students' beliefs, motivation, and
performance (in surprising ways). In J. Aronson (Ed). Improving
academic achievement: Impact of psychological factors on education. (pp.
37-60.) San Diego, CA: Academic Press Quirk,
M. P. (2004). Do supplemental remedial reading programs address the
motivational issues of
struggling readers? An analysis of five popular programs. Reading
Research & Instruction, 43(3),
1-19 |
