Learn how to get kids excited about school, science, learning, reading, or just life with these helpful tips for parents.
Keeping your hyperactive kids busy, especially during weekends or holidays can be an extremely challenging task.
Kids aged five or above have energy pent up inside them.
But here is a truth bomb: kids subconsciously imitate their parents.
Many researchers believe parents are powerful role models. So, if you are thinking to get your kids excited for reading, learning, science, or anything really, then make sure you are equally invested in that particular activity as well.
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There is nothing wrong if your child is being petty or lazy about something that might be beneficial for them. It’s pretty normal not to be excited about everything in this world, even if you can see the benefit of it for your child.
It’s also normal for every parent to feel stuck or helpless when trying to grab their child’s attention and get them excited about that thing
But fret not, here is how you can get your kids excited about anything:
Get Kids Excited by First Being Excited Yourself
To get your child’s attention about anything make sure to set a right example for them.
For instance, if you want your kids to show more enthusiasm for physical activities such as playing sports, then the best way to grab their attention is to show your enthusiasm for sports first.
Reminisce about your sporting golden days in front of your kids, play the sport with them, and, foremost, let them know how important it is to be active so you can be strong, healthy, and live a full life.
Researchers emphasize that ‘children are like sponges’ they usually act the same way as their parents do.
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Children can also spot a hypocrite a mile away, so if you lack excitement for a subject, chances are so will they, as they don’t see you value it yourself.
Setting the right example is the first step to getting them excited to do things.
Also, make sure to avoid any negativity around them that can hinder their personality development and personal enthusiasm and excitement for something.
Reciprocate Your Child’s Excitement and Emotions
The best way to make your kid excited about anything is to start by listening to them.
Children are pretty expressive about their feelings and opinions. Make sure to jot down their specific interests and pick out similar activities.
If your child is into drawing and colors make sure to reciprocate the same and provide them with the material to nurture their talent.
If you are unable to decipher your child’s particular interests, start by asking them simple questions. Ask them about their free time activities or school subjects they show interest in. These can help determine their forte.
If your child shows natural excitement toward a subject, then work to encourage that excitement together.
Limiting TV Time Helps Kids Keep Motivated
Too much time spent near television can be detrimental to a child’s development. Make sure to limit their TV hours for no more than two hours a day with strict supervision.
This rule usually applies to the fact that television can be addictive, for not only kids but for adults as well (and again, they will imitate you so set your own TV limits).
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The journey towards becoming a procrastinator (which is the antithesis of having excitement toward something) usually stems from the fact that we spend hours in front of a TV.
Laziness, fatigue, and irritability are some persistent annihilations of passions and excitement.
Thus, if you want your kids to get excited about anything make sure their reliance on television as a form of entertainment is as limited as possible.
The point here is to let them explore and ensue intrigue and fascination as their concentration, rather than passive entertainment being their sole focus and drive.
The fostering and nurturing environment of your home and parenting is the key here, as the television of itself doesn’t promote negativity. But ensuing limit is the first step towards grabbing your kid’s attention away from the screen and back to real life.
Read, Read and Read
Reading your kids stories at bedtime is extremely beneficial, as is the art of family storytelling. This not only gets them to sleep but also avidly helps their personality development.
Besides this, books can also help create an emotional bond between parents and kids.
Moreover, help kids to concoct a world of imagination and fantasy that can help widen their consciousness.
So, in order to promote and encourage kids to get excited about reading, books are the way to go.
Read them stories especially the ones that majorly revolve around fun activities, good eating habits and primarily also help expand their vocabularies.
Make sure to involve your kids in the story, by asking open-ended questions, like asking them to predict what will happen next. In this way, you are pro-actively invigorating their thought processes, and get them excited about the story.
To help you get your kids excited about reading and stories, be sure to check out these posts:
- 12 Kids Book Subscriptions that Inspire More Reading
- How Parents Can Encourage Reading at Home & Limit Screen Time
- 18 Fantastic Children’s Books About Real-Life Heroes and Role Models
- Great Big List of Audiobooks for Family Road Trips
Also, don’t forget that you, as the parent, need to be seen reading books just for the fun of it, and explain why you value books yourself. Here are some tips on starting a book club if you are interested!
Get Kids Excited by Setting Goals
Setting certain goals for your kids, but especially setting goals alongside your kids, is a great motivational way to grab their attention and get them excited. You can even select a fitting reward for achieving it.
Children show more interest and actively participate in such activities when they are proud of themselves for having earned it.
You don’t have to wait until New Year’s to work with your child to plan new goals. Other big occasions like birthdays, summer break, Back-to-School, and more are great time to sit down and work with your child to plan out goals with them for intellectual, social, spiritual, and physical areas of their lives.
RELATED: Why To-Do Lists are Overrated and What List You Need Instead
These simple pointers will not only motivate kids to partake in activities but will also help build a strong relationship as well.
Foremost, if you really want your kids to get excited about anything make sure to ensue trust as the foundation.
Author Bio: I’m Catherine Nichol, a Blogger from New York, United States. I’m a mother of two beautiful kids. I teach fiction writing and provide editorial services to aspiring writers. The idea of 10babythings is to provide you with honest reviews of baby essential products.
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