In the process of growing up, many children develop differently. And among them, there are many cases where children lose motivation.
They don’t want to do anything anymore. If this condition persists, it will create bad effects on your child.
The question of how to motivate a lazy teenager makes you concerned, and you need to find ways to make your child more active. This is a common matter faced by many parents.
Lucky for you, we will answer all your questions and give you honest advice. Read more to find out.
How To Motivate A Lazy Teenager
How do you deal with a lazy unmotivated teenager? In this section, we will give you workarounds:
Respect The Autonomy
Autonomy is a concept that teenagers want to keep to themselves. They often like to learn and explore the world on their own.
However, following too many rules will make it difficult for them to control their daily routine.
Of course, you don’t let them do whatever they want. But we should respect and give teenagers some assistance to experience it for themselves.
At that time, they will gradually have more motivation to solve the problem satisfactorily.
If there is a place where everyone receives appreciation and compliments, it is their family meeting.
Sympathetically Communicate
Many parents are busy with work and rarely have intimate conversations with their children. This is also a cause for the lack of motivation.
When you don’t talk to each other, you won’t know and understand what your children are going through.
Listen to them empathically. Then you know your teens have a problem, and it will be easier for you to guide and instruct. Also, try to say realistic things to show your child that you care about them.
By seeking out the core issue behind your teen’s poor performance, you can work together to find viable solutions.
Encourage Interests
You should pay attention to whether your child has interests other than studying, such as dancing, music, or sports.
Besides class hours, children also need gifted subjects for comprehensive development.
When they have a hobby, they will spend a lot of time on it. Nurturing passion is a good way to create motivation to work related to it.
When your teens invest time in a passion, they learn how to become self-motivated while developing other life skills too.
Positively Speak
Comparison is a huge obsession in the development of children. Many parents think that saying such things will motivate their children to develop more.
In reality, it is completely counterproductive. Instead, choose to say more positive things.
Be proud and celebrate your children’s special points, giving them a feeling of not being compared to develop better. One point to note is that you should not use “When I was your age…”.
Create Health Habits
Have you ever wondered, how do I motivate my lazy teen to exercise? We recommend making them a good habit.
Going to bed on time and having a good night’s sleep is a huge motivator. Sleeping 8 hours a day is a habit that needs to be kept for good health.
The average teenager needs 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
In addition, maintaining a healthy diet and exercise regimen should also be taken seriously. When you have good health, stress and laziness will no longer exist.
Similarly, teens who are not athletic or coordinated naturally will find it hard to seek the motivation when participating in physical activities.
Restrict Punishments And Rewards
Many parents choose familiar methods of rewards and punishments such as confiscation of their phones or detention if they make a mistake. Don’t punish them for poor grades or missing homework.
And they will have more time to go out for teenager parties and playing games or pocket money when they get good grades.
However, you have to worry about this condition. Your job only creates the pressure of studying for the exam that ignores the values of hard work.
We aim for self-consciousness in motivation to solve problems, not a compulsion.
Maintain Good Routines
Create good habits and maintain them for a long time. Many families have chosen this method and achieved quite a lot of success.
Once a habit is formed, a child’s success comes, and the lack of motivation fades away.
In addition to responsible chores like homework and housework, you should also give your child time to play with hobbies and family activities for closeness.
This process will promote the all-rounded development of young people.
Provide Management Tools
Everyone wants to be successful, but balancing school and social activities can sometimes be a huge pressure.
At that time, our children often choose to stay at home to play video games or surf the web and not care about books anymore.
In this case, you can use the Chunking down method. Break the problem down into small chunks and work through them one at a time while your child has a big project at school.
Or, when your teen has too much to do and doesn’t know what to prioritize, you should create a List-making.
It will help your child know what to do and what to prioritize in a specific and scientific way.
How To Motivate A Lazy Child
Being Patient
Calmness is a state of mind that you must maintain throughout the upbringing of your children.
Sticking to the psychology rules is great for your child to begin to have a sense of motivation. Many children have changed based on the psychological persistence of their parents.
Clear And Calm To Explain
We know it’s hard to explain clearly, especially with slightly stubborn kids. You should give them a specific situation, like doing homework or waking up early.
When they ignore those things, the consequences can be immediate.
At this time, the role of parents is enormous. Please explain them again clearly. When they understand, they will comply and feel like having to work seriously.
Equipping Problems – Solving Skill
Problem-solving skills are really important. Many scientists have shown that lethargy or resistance is caused by a lack of this type of skill.
One reason for lacking motivation in kids is that they are not armed with the essential problem-solving skill to organize tasks and map out a plan to gain the goal.
These children can’t solve the problems at hand, deal with other people’s attitudes, or even be unable to talk in a friendly manner.
We need to understand that this is not a symptom, just that children are solving their problems. So it takes more parental attention to help than to scold.
Taking Advantages Of Natural Consequences
As mentioned above, immediate consequences are a good way to help your child. For example, doing homework.
You must explain to your child: “when you don’t do your homework effectively, you will receive a bad grade and get disciplined. Let them experience and realize their own mistakes.
Once they experience and become aware of those consequences, those memories will be a reason for responsibility.
You can rest assured that your child will gradually become more interested in homework or schoolwork.
Remember To Give Rewards
For teenagers, rewards and punishments should be limited. But for children, we should encourage them.
When children make mistakes, we should not scold or punish them. Such handling may create fear for their children rather than benefit them.
We can offer small gifts, candies, or praises as recognition. Diligence in housework or keeping a good academic record in school are examples that can be given for children to develop.
FAQs
How To Motivate A Teenager To Study?
How to motivate a teenager to do homework? Although this is a rather old question, it has always been of concern to many parents.
Motivation is an issue that needs serious study. The tricks to motivate an intelligent yet unmotivated teen apply to both girls and boys.
One of the optimal ways many parents do this is to minimize the stress.
Many other parents make the somewhat odd choice to stop pushing to decrease the pressure their child is suffering from.
When you expect too much from your child, it can turn into a mental backfire. Instead, try to talk to your child more to create a better relationship.
Why Are Your Children Unmotivated?
Before you want to know how to motivate a lazy child to study, you should be interested in why children are unmotivated.
Everyone thinks the typical reason is laziness, but it’s not the only main reason.
According to many studies, scientists have shown that the lack of motivation is due to a lack of dopamine.
At the same time, scientists also say that possible causes of dopamine deficiency include:
- Stress
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Abuse, violence, and the death of beloved
- Depression
- Addiction
What Are Some Possible Ways To Help Your Teenager Be Better At School?
Many parents wonder how to motivate a teenager to do school work.
There are quite a few methods that you can apply depending on the actual situation of your family. Here are a few ways we offer:
- Set routines
- Build a home culture
- Find mentors
- Prepare skills
- Show interest in your child
Conclusion
The query of how to motivate a lazy teenager has been resolved after you finished reading this article.
We understand that parents face many difficulties when caring for and teaching children. This, of course, also affects the kids quite a lot.
Always love and care for your children. Expectations are good, but setting them too high will harm your child. Talk and empathize with your baby more.
Happy family to everyone.
