How to Motivate Your Unmotivated Kids
This is a guest post from my friend Abbey Allen at ARTventurous Animals.
Make sure to click over to her website to see her collection of resources for homeschoolers including easy art activities (some are free!), done-for-you unit studies, and art curriculum and classes!
You probably planned to have a great fresh start to the school year, but your kids had other plans…
You bought new curriculum.
You planned interesting unit studies.
You even bought glitter for that art project and now you’re dreading it.
And yet…
Your kids are STILL unmotivated to learn! It’s like pulling teeth or hair or arms.
Your hopes to be a creative educator are dashed and now you’re turning on educational Youtube videos and calling it a day.
We’ve all been there! Unmotivated kids are normal, but that doesn’t mean we have to leave learning to their whims of motivation.
Because here’s the secret:
Motivated Learning starts when you identify the reason your kids are unmotivated.
Here are a few reasons I’ve gathered from my experience as a mom and teacher:
- Your kids are tired. Like, literally. Sometimes bed time can slip further and further back into the evening. I know for my family it always does! Who wants to go to bed when there’s a cozy couch and family movie playing? Still, this can greatly affect the way kids learn the next day.
- The curriculum is predictable. Remember the feeling of unboxing your new curriculum in August? WHERE DID THE FEELING GO??? 😆 Once workbooks/worksheets become routine, they can be too simple to keep kids attention. Even if the subject matter is getting more intense, learning flow isn’t taking place because kids’ natural curiosity is no longer being peaked. On top of that, our kids are being inundated with overstimulating media. Whether it’s iPad games, kids’ shows, or just the static ad on a billboard, their brains are constantly responding to stimuli. This can mean sitting down to complete a task on a blank sheet of paper feels like a mountain of work to them. Which leads me into my next point…
- Your kids are tired mentally. Did you recently finish a set of tests? Did your child just complete a large project? Mental fatigue can happen when kids put in a lot of energy into school, then don’t get a restful break after. Maybe you started school at the beginning of January strong and full-force, but it wasn’t a sustainable pace.
- The weather is cold and the sun is gone. I used to get sad every winter when we hit the beginning of February. We had already endured months of winter, yet spring felt forever away. And I missed my sun-kissed skin and late firefly nights that always came with June. Now I live in a tropical (and hot) climate, so sunshine is always here!
But maybe that’s not the case for you. Your kids could be experiencing mood swings that slow learning to a halt because of the season. And the hardest part for you as their parent? You might be experiencing it too!
So what can you do to motivate your kids to enjoy learning again?
Keep reading for my 4 ideas!
Each number is the solution to the numbered problems above.
1. Let your kids have a SLOW MORNING.
Jumping into rigorous academics early in the day is one of the many mistakes I’ve made with tired kids. It feels like a productive morning should be the solution, but really it causes more stress to their nervous system. This results in halting, unmotivated behavior.
Instead, try setting out a morning basket with simple, quiet tasks inside. This could be a rainforest art journal, science coloring pages (free!), or a good book. No pressure to complete tasks. Just get them interested in learning by allowing them to choose a quiet activity.
2. Try some INDEPENDENT LEARNING.
Who said you have to be giving lessons in a lecture style or religiously following the curriculum? Try an independent, art-inspired project that your kids will love. My favorites right now are in this inherited traits project bundle. When kids have agency over decisions inside an art project like these, they become more interested. MORE CHOICES = MORE MOTIVATION
3. Include PURPOSEFUL SCREEN TIME.
I know screen time can be seen as the “bad guy,” but there are educational ways to use it. Try this Digital Food Web game for free! Your kids will love the interaction, and you’ll love how easy it is to open the Google Slide and play.
Also, try art through the lens of animals in my Travel Art Membership. Kids love the online video tutorials and cute animal characters, and you’ll love the easy art projects and loads of facts they’re learning.
These are great ways to answer the question…
“But can’t we just watch a movie?”
4. Get OUTSIDE.
Even if it’s a bit chilly where you live, bundle up and head to your backyard or park. You’d be amazed how running and playing can help their energy levels!
When my mom was homeschooling us, she would tell my brother (who usually had the hardest time focusing), to go run a lap around the house and come back in for another math problem. He LOVED it!
Wanting to include an educational aspect? Check out this blog I wrote about a unique way to go on a nature walk.
So which solution are you going to try this week?
Happy ARTventuring!
-Abbey Allen
