By: Steve Hill
I have two children and even though I love them to bits, I have to say that at times they need motivating to do their homework or to help out around the house, for example. This article describes how I go about this child motivation. The methods have helped my own children no end and I am sure they could help other parents in a similar situation.
I remember when I met my step-daughter who is called Taryn. She was five years of age and quite a character. I felt a bit sorry for her however as she spent a lot of time at a childminders. The childminder would take her and pick her up from school. On some days her mother would not be able to collect her until around 8pm.
After a few months of dating her mother, I offered to help out by stating that I could take Taryn to school and pick her up. Taryn said that she wanted me to do this and it was all agreed.
Up to this point Taryn had never really been made to do her homework, either by her mother who was very busy and often tired or by the childminder.
When we arrived home from school on the first day of me picking her up, I asked Taryn if she had any homework. She passed me her reading folder. In the folder was a book which she was supposed to read. Come on then Taryn lets read this book together, I said. I don't do homework, Taryn replied. I stated to her that that was the past and that from now on she would be doing it.
Taryn had a bit of strop and started to cry. Your not my dad, you can not make me do it, she continued. I basically had to be very strong and made her read the book. There were a number of words which she could not read and I wrote them on a list. We then spent around ten minutes where I attempted to teach her the words. She found all of this very boring.
I then told her that we would now play a game, which is called the mouthing game. She would pick a word from the list and just mouth the word without making a sound. If I could guess what she had mouthed, she would get a point and then it would be my turn.
Taryn really enjoyed this game and on the way home from school on the next day, she asked if we could play the game again. Of course we can but we need to read the book first, I said. Taryn replied that this was fine. This is one example of many games we play when doing homework or any other task which the children see as mundane.
I also compliment both children and tell them how much I love and am proud of them at regular intervals. I give them rewards when they have a good school report and encourage them to always give things ago even if they believe that they might fail in the specific task. In my opinion there is no such thing as failure if you have tried your best.
