Kid’s are frustrating sometimes. They want one thing, get distracted, and do another thing. Sometimes they are tired, or distracted, or had a big day. Here’s a short post on mindful tips to use when kids don’t want to attend class. So, kids are not naturally self-motivated. When your child’s mind says not in the right place, even the most fun activities can be a struggle to get to. With that said, here’s some strategies to help you work around lack of motivation with trying to get your kids to class.
Number 1, be attentive to what your child is doing in the moment, he is supposed to get ready for class. If he is playing or having fun with a friend, then be ready for battle. With that said, have your child participate in a chore or task that’s not as much fun around 10 to 15 minutes prior to getting ready for class.
Number 2, be attentive to your own projection of emotions as you get your child ready for class. If you are stressed, rushed or aggravated in any way, this will project the same emotions on your child. With that said, be sure to project positive and upbeat energy as you’re getting your child ready for class.
Number 3, be attentive to how you respond to your child’s overall performance after class. If you are expressing too much emphasis of what she did wrong versus right, then those negative feelings will carry over. With that said, be sure to limit criticism and focus more on productive conversations after class.
Number 4, be intentional with your goals by communicating with your child’s instructor. The goal is to foster motivation, what the instructors know about your struggles so that they can be mindful to motivate your child before, during, and after class. It takes a village so don’t be afraid to ask for support.
Number 5, prompted motivation by rewarding your child. Remember that the children’s brains are still growing and most of the development comes from positive stimulation and experiences. With that said, pre frame the proper behavior that you’d like to see when going to class and then setting attainable number of classes she must attend with this behavior along with the reward for doing so. For example, “Attend the next 3 classes with the proper behavior and we will grab ice cream on the way home.”
Now, these tips are not rocket science, but are often overlooked. As parents, we get caught up in the daily grind so we sometimes forget that situations like this require attentive and intentional parenting. I hope this post sheds some positive light on how to help your child get ready for class. Good luck and thank you for your time in reading our blog.