When you have a smart kid not working to potential, it’s enough to make any parent twitchy. So I asked an expert for help, and here’s what I learned
Guest post by Julie Cole
I’ve always been fascinated by what makes some people super motivated, and others, not so much. I found this particularly interesting when I saw differences in motivation between my children.
Why do I have two kids who are equally clever, yet one is disappointed with a certain mark or grade in school, while the other thinks it is more than acceptable?
A few weeks ago, I spent an evening holding a gun to one kid’s head, forcing him to prepare for a math test scheduled for the next day. No gun to head, no study. Across the room was the other child busily typing on her laptop. When I asked what she was working on, the response was, “I have a science test in two weeks, so I’m just putting together my study notes to get a jump on things.”
Two kids–born only fifteen months apart with the same parents, same home environment, same encouragement, same role modeling, and yet so different. Why?
With no answer to that question, frustration was mounting. When you have a smart kid not working to potential, it’s enough to make any parent twitchy. I usually rely on natural consequences–don’t study, then you fail. Better luck next time. Problem is, with this kid, doing badly doesn’t bother him too much. Not exactly what I’m looking for in a consequence.
I happen to be lucky to be pals with psychologist and parenting author Alyson Schafer. She gave me a few quick tips that I’ve put into practice–and my kid and I are not as frustrated with each other.
1. Teach him the effort is not stupidity.
This is big. Whenever he actually had to TRY at something, he liked to default to “Oh well, I guess I just suck at this." That’s a pretty easy out, so we’ve had lots of conversations trying to turn this way of thinking around.
2. Don’t dictate when he’s going to study, but task him to.
Every Sunday, he creates his own study plan for the week. No longer is it me nagging him to study, it’s him having to be accountable to his OWN plan.
3. Don’t argue when he thinks what he’s studying is useless.
He’s likely right. Have the open conversation that there are bits of the curriculum that are outdated or won’t be relevant to him. Get on his side, but remember to teach that getting through this is all just a step to be able to have choices when it comes to post-secondary education and a career.
Do your kids have different motivation levels? How do you manage your expectations around the effort they do or don’t put into school or activities?
Julie Cole is the co-founder of Mabel's Labels and the mother of six children.
