Motivating kids for self-improvement: Here’s how

As parents, you are 100 per cent invested in your kids, be it health, education or personality development. Well, there is no denying that it parents need to have a very sharp eye on their kids’ overall development. But promoting self-improvement is equally important.  Here are ways to do so.  

Promote self-love 
Make your children realise that it is important to love themselves the way they are, while also trying to evolve. Let them know that they don’t need to rank in class or make it to the school’s football team to feel satisfied. Instead, they should identify their strengths and work on them constantly. Encourage your kids to focus on building an overall personality and ask them where they would like to improve. Whether they want to score better in academics or challenge the bullies, make sure to encourage them to take concrete steps.  

Encourage them to set their own goals 
It’s highly recommended by experts that kids constantly work towards their ambitions. These can include anything from learning a new dance form to improving communication skills. Help your child find healthy and realistic goals that are tough but not impossible to achieve. Long-term goals should always be encouraged like saving money to buy an instrument, but make them understand that these can only be achieved through small daily steps. Suggest that they save a small amount every month from their pocket-money. Ask your child to create his own progress chart to keep track of his goals.  

Motivate your kids to solve problems on their own  
Parents often feel the urge to fix their children’s problems. But,  rescuing them at the first signs of struggle will not benefit their children. Whether it’s their time-management issue or struggle with academics, motivate them to find their own solution instead of stepping up yourself. You can always show young children that they have choices in how they respond to a particular problem and direct them to many different ways of solving it. Armed with efficient problem-solving skills, they will feel empowered. Each crisis your child faces is a chance for him to improve himself. 

Keep the lines of communication open 
In the long run, a child will benefit from the way he handles and reacts to his successes or failures. Stay in constant touch with your child and ask him to share their daily experiences with you, from their performance in school to an interaction with a friend. Hold discussions with them on what they excelled at and what they need to keep working on.  

Offer incentives 
There will be times when your child will be too self-aware, and not in a good way. He might think he is better than his peers, which is when you need to gently remind him that he still has a long way to go. There will also be instances when your child will lack motivation. In such cases, some added incentives may revive his motivation while keeping him grounded. Restrict privileges if kids don’t conform to the set rules.