Saturday 17 December 2022

How to Raise a Hardworking Child

It’s important for children to learn the value in working hard from an early age, as this will help them succeed in school and beyond. With this in mind, you should try and find ways to motivate and inspire your child, without nagging too much. The way you speak to your youngster, and how you praise and punish them, will really determine how much effort they put into things. I have teamed up with an independent prep school in London to explore this further.


Praise Good Effort

If you constantly praise your child for being naturally smart or naturally athletic, they will start to believe that their accomplishments are down to innate traits. As a result, when things don’t go the way they had hoped, they won’t understand why. So, it’s better to praise your child for the effort they put in, as opposed to applauding their natural flair for things. For example, you could say things like “I’m really proud of how much revision you did for your exam” or “Well done for persevering with your homework even though you found it tough”. Remind them that as long as they’re trying their best, that’s the best they can do. 


Don’t Punish Failings

Being hard on your child when they don’t get the grades they wanted, or they don’t succeed at something, will make them fearful of failing. As a result, they’ll be less inclined to try in the first place. Instead, come back to praising them for their efforts by saying something along the lines of “I know you didn’t get the result you were hoping for but you should be really proud of how hard you tried as that’s all anyone can ask”. Help them learn from their mistakes so that they don’t happen again, rather than punishing them for it. Remind them that even grownups make mistakes sometimes!


Be a Good Role Model

If your child can see people around them whom they admire working hard, whether it be in terms of a career, household chores, or even just a hobby, they will be more inclined to follow suit. Kids learn a lot of their behaviour by observing influential people around them, so always aspire to be a good role model.

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