“LIVE AS IF YOU WERE TO DIE TOMORROW. LEARN AS IF YOU WERE TO LIVE FOREVER.” ―MAHATMA GANDHI
Studying is nothing but a learning process. And more often than none, it becomes boring. When even the teachers fail to make it enjoyable, as a parent, it falls upon you to amp it up and make it more likable for your children.
Let’s understand the reason kids are not interested in studies. DO we know how the curriculum for a particular standard is decided, and what are the criteria that your child will be studying in a particular standard? The answer to the latter part is only age.
It has nothing to do with the intelligence or the capabilities of the child. And the answer to the former part is keeping the capabilities of the average student in mind. Then you add a few aspects to cater to both the intelligent and also the below-average student.
If this be the case which among the three categories will be interested in studies? Let’s analyze to understand. There is not enough to keep the intelligent ones stimulated.
The below average and average in any case feel low confident because their performance is always being compared to the intelligent ones. So, who is interested in studies then? None.
Anyway, if this is a challenge with the education system, you need to find ways to make your child interested in studies. Here are a few ways to make your life easy.
Make them responsible for their own studies
Children love to be able to make their own decisions (as they should). Don’t get on their backs about it. Let them study on their own. Let them make their own plans.
It is possible that at the beginning, they may misuse this freedom, but once they realize that they are truly and solely responsible for their studies, they will get their priorities straight.
It does not mean that if they come to you for help in revisions or similar things, you refuse them. They decided that they wanted your help. If they come to you with doubt and they have tried themselves, then don’t hesitate to help.
Appreciate every accomplishment small or big
An accomplishment is an accomplishment, no matter how big it is. When children are doing something on their own, they need your support to know that they are doing okay. And when they achieve something, don’t dismiss it because you think it may be small. They did it on their own, and they need to be proud of it. Don’t discourage them.
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Focus on the root cause of why they are not studying
If it is a pattern that your child doesn’t study, then it can be a sign of an intermittent cause that you haven’t encountered yet.
Lack of focus can just be the by-product of something that is troubling them from the inside. In such a situation, how to make a child interested in studying is not your primary concern-Working about the root cause is.
Once you solve the root cause problem, the lack of interest in studying the problem is solved automatically.
Trust your kids. They are not always making excuses
The story of the shepherd boy who kept lying about the fox has given us some serious trust issues (just kidding). Whenever your child comes up with some reason to not study, you think that they are lying to get out of it.
Well, you may be right, you may be wrong, can’t say. In such a situation, you need to give your child the benefit of the doubt.
Investigate later. And if it comes to light that your child has been lying, explain in a calm but firm way that if they want a break from studies, they don’t have to concoct lies, they can come up to you anytime and tell you frankly. Next time onwards, they won’t lie about it and be open with you.
When they know that they won’t get in trouble for now wanting to study once in a while, they will never hide it from you. It takes time to build trust from both sides, you hold up your end of the bargain, and they will hold theirs.
Don’t make it a compulsion
Studying is essential, no doubt. But when it becomes something you just simply ‘have to do’ it becomes boring. Studying for the sake of marks makes it non-interesting. When you study to gain knowledge, suddenly things are not so bad anymore, and you actually feel like doing it.
When your children come to know that they are studying not because they ‘have to’ but because they ‘want to,’ they will have a whole new perspective.
Sure, you will have to sacrifice a few class tests, but it is beneficial in the long term. Also, something that they have learned for the sake of learning and not for marks stays with them lifelong.
Focus on their interests
Not everybody is programmed to like everything. Same way, everybody is programmed to like something. Focus on the thing they like. Let them study it more than any subject if that is what they want.
When they come to know that both of you are on the same page, they will listen to you better.
Tell them that, “it is good that you like a subject so much, but it is also necessary to learn other subjects too, look buddy it is not a compulsion that you like it, just get it over with.” Children love it when they are in on the plan, and they will listen to you.
Meanwhile, try to hone in their skills in the subject that they like.
Apart from these solutions, there can be other new and innovative answers to ‘how to get your kids interested in studying.’ Don’t be hesitant to try them out. Get creative. The world is your oyster.