A kid who is between 13 and 19 years old is called a teenager or teen. They are known teenagers because their age numbers end with “teen”. This word is often associated with adolescence. An unmotivated teen doesn’t follow the instructions and does what he wants.
Boredom, disinterest and distractions are the hallmark of the teen years. And keeping your teen motivated to study through this time is challenging. Motivation is a survival tool because it pushes teenagers to do things that will help them survive and thrive. Motivating an unmotivated teenager can be a challenge.
It is a challenging task to motivate an unmotivated teenager. In this article, I will give you some tips that will help your teen to study through the long hours, days and years of studying.
1. Give priority to learning rather than performing
Learning depends on the hard work and effort we put in while performance depends on how others are studying. Each and every child is different from other so no one can control the performance of others. If you’re consistently stressing your child to perform and get equal marks to other students then it will demoralize your teen and he/she will ultimately feel depressed and unmotivated.
2. Do not bribe or punish
Bribe and punishment are the enemy of self-motivation. If your ward studies for a reward like toy, chocolate etc. or to nullify a physical punishment from teachers then it is an indication that motivation has converted into nervousness and dishonesty. Both fear and greed stop logical thinking and disturb study.
3. Explain the cause
Brain develops very fast during teenage years. Teenager students think logically and debate because mugging and memorizing has become an old practice now. Don’t be afraid to discuss why something should be learnt. Take your time to analyze and explain the reason behind your teaching.
4. Stop Comparison
Teenagers are terribly self-conscious. They always observe and analyze what others are doing, what others are saying and what others are thinking. Comparison impairs teenager students’ learning ability and parents’ comparison with others only makes this worse.
5. Hide worry and display your passion
Worry kills motivation. Always be quiet and relaxed with your teen. Don’t scold, anger, beat and threaten your teen. Realize your kids about the seriousness and interest for the subjects that your teenager kid is studying. Inspiring your teenagers to study with energy and excitement.
6. Teach with relevant examples
It is very easy to understand something that has an immediate application in our real life. On the other hand it is extremely difficult to memorize something that has no use in our day to day life. Try to give a relevant example to your teen about what she/he is learning in school. This will increase the motivation level very high.
7. Do not let work accumulate
If there is a heap of work to do and too much to study then teen feels exhausted and this leads to a feeling of resistance. Aware your teen of how much has to study. Advise your kid to finish small parts of work every day. Set daily, weekly and monthly goals for your teen. If your teen is behind the syllabus, help her/him to catch up. Students will be tension free when the workload is small.
8. Take care of your teen health
Both physical and mental fitness are necessary for student life. High sugar content foods like cold drinks, coffee, Trans fat decrease motivation and increase anxiety in the body.
Never give your teen packaged processed food, avoid too much tea, coffee, fizzy drinks, foods made of Maida like cakes, biscuits and other deep fried snacks. Focus on healthy food that includes green leafy vegetables, nuts, fruits and complex carbohydrates. Motivate your teen to involve in a physical activity at least 60 minutes a day or to join a yoga course for mental wellness.
9. Provide a clear study roadmap
To develop cognitive problem solving skills, teach your teen how to solve a problem by dividing into small portions by following a pre-designed roadmap. Teach your disorganized child about study planner, a homework schedule, a study area that is comfortable and cool, or a couple of great organizational apps, instead of putting your teen on autopilot mode
10. Do not increase expectations
Don’t increase your expectations very high the first time because expectations are directly related to the pressure on your teen mind. Parents should teach them to focus more on a regular pattern and hard work so that their teens can set up another goal once she/he has achieved a previous one.
11. Participate in extracurricular activities
Know the hobbies of your teen other than study and motivate him to spend a decent amount of time on these hobbies to refresh his/her mind.
Conclusion
Every teen is unique and every teenager kid requires a distinctive environment to reach his caliber and potential. Some kids are blessed by god while others face constant pressure to perform.
The purpose of education is often misunderstood. The purpose of education is the integral development of a human being rather than teaching facts so that they can contribute to the welfare of society in which people are aware of their duties and rights and do what is best for them and the rest of the world – rather than what comes naturally to them. Self-motivation is the best motivation because it comes from inside your soul.
It comes when your teen does things that he/she wants to do and so is seen in play, in exploration and in challenge seeking. Try to self-motivate your teen in a positive way rather than forceful motivation because it doesn’t last for a long span of time. Give an open hearted compliment to your teen to build confidence, support and mutual trust.
Convert the slightest achievement of your teen into a moment of joy to show him that as a parent, you will always involve, support and supervise his/her throughout the academic period.
