How to Motivate Teenagers

The developmental transformation from a child to an unmotivated teenager can present challenges to perplexed parents. Aside from the obvious physical changes, your child̵7;s intellectual and moral development reflects additional changes, notes KidsHealth. Some teenagers demonstrate changes in behavior that prove problematic, especially when a mismatch exists between what your teenager does and what you believe she should do. Parents learn that the effects of offering external rewards and nagging produce only temporary inducements to motivate behavior. Learn how to motivate your teenager, and help her to acquire behaviors that can benefit her now, and later as a young adult.

Instructions

    • 1

      Recognize an activity that your teenager enjoys and requires no prompting to complete. For example, if your teenager enjoys art, talk about his artistic talent and passion to create new designs. Don̵7;t forget to praise his ability. Encourage your teenager to talk about why he loves art, and explore how he can place some of his intrinsic motivation and passion for art into other areas that need his attention, suggests Empoweringparents.

    • 2

      Avoid using a combination of rewards and punishment to build motivation, cautions psychologist Carl E. Pickhardt, Ph.D., in Psychology Today. Your teenager may resent rewards that are contingent on changes in behavior, and punishment may fuel additional rebellion.

    • 3

      Ask questions about your teenager̵7;s perspective to gain insights rather than highlight her inactivity, or nag for needed changes in behavior. For example, ask your teenager why she is struggling, and how you can support her efforts to change the outcome. Encourage her to brainstorm concerning what she needs to reach a goal, and together, design a workable plan to achieve it.

    • 4

      Permit your teenager to experience the natural consequences that accompany poor choices. Learning to value the relationship between choices and consequences is crucial for success in academic settings and the adult world. For example, it̵7;s okay to provide reminders along the way about the due date for an impending project, but resist your parental instinct to appear at the last moment to ̶0;save̶1; him from an unpleasant consequence.

    • 5

      Communicate with your teenager to have a clear understanding about her long-term goals for the future, recommends EmpoweringParents. Don̵7;t use this time as an opportunity to critique what she shares with you ̵1; listen, and withhold judgment. Praise your teenager̵7;s goal orientation, even if the selected goal causes you to cringe a bit. Remind her about her goals during a time when her motivation appears low, or she hits a bump in the road on the way to completion of a task.

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