Q: How can I motivate my 2-year-old daughter so that she will be ready to enter school? — Anxious
A: Relax; you don’t have to do anything to motivate young children to learn how to do things. They are born eager to acquire new skills, from rolling over to walking and talking. However, you can kill their desire to learn if you take full responsibility for getting every job done and won’t even let them help.
Parents need to encourage their young children’s efforts when they begin learning how to fasten buttons and pull up zippers so they will remain self-motivated to keep learning to do more and more for themselves. At the same time, you have to be careful with your daughter’s desire to learn to read, write and work with numbers, to be sure that these activities remain fun for her and don’t become academic ventures.
Besides learning to do things, your daughter has intense curiosity about her world. She has an inner drive to explore, interact with and make sense of her environment. Build on this drive by giving her numerous opportunities — using magnifying glasses, studying ants, watching the tide come in and observing the sunset. Turning on the TV or computer is a very poor substitute for real-life experiences. It can lead to boredom.
Q: Can you give me some tips on avoiding the nightly homework battle with my second-grader? — Seeking Peace
A: Most homework battles occur over the time homework should be started. This needs to be set in stone. A contract between parent and child can resolve most homework battles. If you decide to use a contract, have very few terms at first. Beyond using a homework contract, make it a point to give help only when it is requested. You don’t want to have homework battles harm the relationship between you and your child. Try to settle this issue now before it becomes a running battle over the years.
Motivation and Preschoolers
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