School is back in session and while the first few weeks of classes brings excitement ranging from fresh back to school outfits and impressively drawn chalkboard signs announcing what grade kiddos are starting, much like the flavor of a stick of juicy fruit gum, the excitement can quickly wane as routine sets in.
As your kiddo transitions from summer days filled with a loose schedule, late nights, and structure about as stable as a house of cards, it may be tough to get them motivated about the school year ahead.
However, it can be easy to keep your kiddo focused on the big picture throughout the year and with a few easy steps, they'll create their own positive perception of school that will have them pursuing their own established goals. Here's three quick and easy ways to have them get the ball rolling on a successful school year hopefully devoid of losing the same expensive jacket six times over.
We all know there are some things about school that we dreaded back when we stuffed our backpacks full and left the house for 7 hours. That one teacher, long division, Robbie who would pick his nose and eat it in front of you, and under-cooked corn-dogs for lunch. It's easy to fixate on the negative things that can, (and may inevitably) happen, which changes the perspective we have on school as a whole.
However, having your kiddo write down a few positive things that they enjoy everyday, can quickly change their perspective on a place where they spend 35+ hours week. Their five things they love can and should be anything they enjoy, whether its spending time with their friends, a subject in school, recess, even down to being able to show off their 17 key-chains on their back pack. The important thing is to let them focus on the things that bring them joy each and every day they go to school.
As much as school brings a lot of fun with recess, seeing friends, and discussing the latest fashion trends or Fortnite strategy at lunch, we don't have to tell you how impactful success in the classroom can be. For some kids though, their only goal in the classroom is "to get good grades", which can sometimes take the emphasis away from learning, which might be the most important goal of the classroom.
Typically in classrooms, kiddos are given a set curriculum throughout the year and learn about things as they are presented. Having your kiddo think about things they want to learn about (and again, this should be anything) gives them excitement and motivation to ask more questions, and research. This teaches them to pursue knowledge about a subject that interests them.
Their learning goals may range widely from an increased understanding of history, more advanced math techniques, to learning how computers work, how clothes are made, to how planes fly, the possibilities should be endless for them.
Goals are a great destination, but all of us who have planned a vacation know figuring out how to get to Hawaii is almost as important (and or complicated) when you consider flights, transportation, lodging, and potentially childcare. (Grandma anyone???) Point is, your kiddo needs a way to work towards this goal.
Having them write down one action goal keeps the focus simple and narrow on their goal. Have them think of one way they can achieve their goal in the classroom. This can either be asking the teacher a question before school, checking out books in the library, or choosing one of their learning goals as a topic for a school project.
This follows the In-N-Out burger menu method (take a moment to wipe the drool from your mouth) where a narrow refined menu, makes the focus simple. If you try to give your kiddo 10 action steps to take, they may not be able to invest into each step as well. Besides, the end game of these tips is to get the ball of motivation rolling for your kiddos so that momentum can continue throughout the year.
There you have it, 3 easy tips to hopefully help your kiddo get motivated to start the school year on a high note! What are your thoughts, do you have any tips? Let us know below. And of course, you can always keep your kids motivated and having fun by sending them to a Jordan Kent Skill Camp, where we specialize in a fun-filled days that will keep your kids engaged and active!
Have a great school year, and enjoy those extra 6-7 hours to yourself each day again!
As your kiddo transitions from summer days filled with a loose schedule, late nights, and structure about as stable as a house of cards, it may be tough to get them motivated about the school year ahead.
However, it can be easy to keep your kiddo focused on the big picture throughout the year and with a few easy steps, they'll create their own positive perception of school that will have them pursuing their own established goals. Here's three quick and easy ways to have them get the ball rolling on a successful school year hopefully devoid of losing the same expensive jacket six times over.
1. Have your kiddo write down 5 things they love about school
We all know there are some things about school that we dreaded back when we stuffed our backpacks full and left the house for 7 hours. That one teacher, long division, Robbie who would pick his nose and eat it in front of you, and under-cooked corn-dogs for lunch. It's easy to fixate on the negative things that can, (and may inevitably) happen, which changes the perspective we have on school as a whole.
However, having your kiddo write down a few positive things that they enjoy everyday, can quickly change their perspective on a place where they spend 35+ hours week. Their five things they love can and should be anything they enjoy, whether its spending time with their friends, a subject in school, recess, even down to being able to show off their 17 key-chains on their back pack. The important thing is to let them focus on the things that bring them joy each and every day they go to school.
2. Have your kiddo write down 3 things they want to learn this year
As much as school brings a lot of fun with recess, seeing friends, and discussing the latest fashion trends or Fortnite strategy at lunch, we don't have to tell you how impactful success in the classroom can be. For some kids though, their only goal in the classroom is "to get good grades", which can sometimes take the emphasis away from learning, which might be the most important goal of the classroom.
Typically in classrooms, kiddos are given a set curriculum throughout the year and learn about things as they are presented. Having your kiddo think about things they want to learn about (and again, this should be anything) gives them excitement and motivation to ask more questions, and research. This teaches them to pursue knowledge about a subject that interests them.
Their learning goals may range widely from an increased understanding of history, more advanced math techniques, to learning how computers work, how clothes are made, to how planes fly, the possibilities should be endless for them.
3. Have your kiddo write down 1 action step for achieving their goals
Goals are a great destination, but all of us who have planned a vacation know figuring out how to get to Hawaii is almost as important (and or complicated) when you consider flights, transportation, lodging, and potentially childcare. (Grandma anyone???) Point is, your kiddo needs a way to work towards this goal.
Having them write down one action goal keeps the focus simple and narrow on their goal. Have them think of one way they can achieve their goal in the classroom. This can either be asking the teacher a question before school, checking out books in the library, or choosing one of their learning goals as a topic for a school project.
This follows the In-N-Out burger menu method (take a moment to wipe the drool from your mouth) where a narrow refined menu, makes the focus simple. If you try to give your kiddo 10 action steps to take, they may not be able to invest into each step as well. Besides, the end game of these tips is to get the ball of motivation rolling for your kiddos so that momentum can continue throughout the year.
There you have it, 3 easy tips to hopefully help your kiddo get motivated to start the school year on a high note! What are your thoughts, do you have any tips? Let us know below. And of course, you can always keep your kids motivated and having fun by sending them to a Jordan Kent Skill Camp, where we specialize in a fun-filled days that will keep your kids engaged and active!
Have a great school year, and enjoy those extra 6-7 hours to yourself each day again!