7 Ways to Help Your Kid Get Motivated in Class

Parents invest a lot in the academic life of their children, as they know how important this is for their future. Sadly, not all kids share the same concern about their future. Rather than do school work and listen attentively in class, some prioritize hanging with friends, playing games and watch movies on Netflix (or whatever's good on TV).  If you have children struggling in school and aren't feeling motivated to improve, you can take measures to help them motivate themselves to do better academically.

Here are seven tips to help put your child in an excellent position to be motivated in school:

Give your child the opportunity to air their opinions, concerns and complaints about what's happening with their education. Create an open atmosphere where they could express their likes or dislikes about a class, subject or teacher.

When they share their opinion, be there to validate their feelings - even if you don't agree with everything. If they're saying that they're having trouble with some middle school online learning program requirements, for instance, listen to their statements, take note of their opinions and brainstorm for possible solutions.

If your kid isn't studying properly and their grades are dropping, you'll need to fix the issue whether they want you there or not. When you do help them, create a structure and not do the work for them.  This might include devoting a required amount of hours to study and complete projects. During the study period, your child cannot play video games nor do other types of leisure activity. You could say something like, "No games or Facebook for you until you finish your homework and projects for the week."

Understand that your child shouldn't see structure as a form of punishment. It's a way to help them focus their attention on school subjects and develop an excellent work ethic.

Getting paid after doing the work is one of life's many lessons. Use this when establishing rules in your home. You could say things like:

Once you finish creating these "when you" rules, enforce them strictly. By implementing these rules in your household, you're helping your child learn what their brain is not yet equipped to do, which is to delay gratification and become more disciplined in life.

When you want to get your child motivated to learn in school, you want to send a message that you appreciate hard work. Praising kids for trying things they didn't think was remotely possible, making a strong effort and completing a tough assignment, can teach them the pleasure of giving their 100 percent at what they do.

When learning engages kids in subjects and areas of interest, the activity becomes fun for them. If you want to motivate your child to learn, encourage them to explore subjects and topics that they like.  If your kid loves traveling, for instance, help them find interesting and engaging books and articles about geography. Then, challenge them by identifying the capitals of their favorite countries.  Be aware that much of your kid's lack of motivation may be due to shame or anxiety about schoolwork and academics. Children may be unable to explain these feelings.

Parents can misinterpret anxiety as irresponsibility, terrible attitude and lack of motivation. Oftentimes, the mechanism to cope with these emotions can manifest in the form of defiance, shutting down and evasiveness. Although a little anxiety can serve as a form of motivation, too much of it disrupts a child's ability to think clearly.

So, keep your feelings in check by recognizing that your child may be feeling anxious. Calmly provide them the structure necessary to complete their projects and assignments. Enthusiasm is infectious, especially when learning new stuff. If your kid sees you genuinely enthusiastic about learning, they'll likely do the same. Whether the subject is math, science or history, help your child see that learning can be a fun and exciting activity. Take the chance (without becoming too overbearing) to discover new information with your kid.

These strategies will help you to motivate your child to learn in class. If you need further assistance, don't hesitate to work with your child's teacher or join support groups that help kids find their motivation to learn in school.