You have to realize that your teenagers are probably under a lot of pressure.
Some of that pressure may come from you as parents.
They may feel pressure to meet your expectations and to please you.
They may feel pressure from school trying to compete with other students or just trying to figure out how they fit in.
Add to that the stress of all the physical and emotional changes they are going through as adolescents.
All of these things can be distracting, discouraging or at worst even debilitating for teenagers.
They may feel so overwhelmed that they simply give up.
They become unmotivated or apathetic about school.
You don't want them to reach the point of dislike or even hatred about going to school.
Here are several things to keep in mind that will help in the process of motivating teenagers to do well in school.
1.
Imagine Being in Their Shoes Show that you understand what they are going through.
When it becomes obvious that your teenagers are going through hormonal changes you must understand this.
Try to remember when you were young and you had hormones running wild.
All you could do was think about sex.
You just want to pull up a chair sit down and talk to them about this transition.
Explain to them that all teenagers go through changes as they are on their way to becoming adults.
Tell them that you know what it is like and you want help them get through this.
You might even put them at ease by explaining to them how you understand some of the pressures they may be under, whether it's peer pressure, trying to fit in, kids they don't like, whatever.
Let your teenagers know they can come to you if they have any questions or concerns and that you can work through those things together.
2.
Practice and Train To be Patient As you recall what it was like for you to be a teenager think back to how your parents dealt with you.
If they did things you did not like or you felt were counterproductive, make sure you don't do the same thing.
All of us will make mistakes from time to time.
When it comes to parenting it's no different.
When our kids become teenagers it is very likely that they will try our patience.
That means you must train yourself to be patient.
Stop.
Examine self.
Is your heart racing? Calm down first beforehand.
Remain calm.
Listen before you speak.
By giving yourself internal commands you can help yourself respond in an appropriate manner which can also speak volumes to your teenagers.
Trust me, you will not always remain calm and do this perfectly but the more you practice it the better you become.
3.
Avoid Imposing Parental Pressures Parental pressures are the last thing that a teenager wants to deal with.
You don't want pressures from your boss and your teenagers don't want them from you.
One of the more common mistakes parents make is placing unrealistic expectations upon the shoulders of their teenagers.
Nothing can be more discouraging to teenagers than feeling pressured into trying to live up to expectations that they know they cannot meet.
The fear of failing you as their parents can be so overwhelming that they shut down.
You can certainly set goals and have aspirations towards your teenagers but realize that they cannot be expected to make up for your own personal failures and shortcomings.
Realize that they as individuals have their own ideas about what they want to do with their lives.
Try to respect that.
4.
Enjoy a Good Laugh Really try to enjoy your children and particularly when they become teenagers.
Yes they may begin to pull away from you and this is expected since they are seeking independence.
Try to build into your schedule times to do things together and just have fun.
Find out some the things they're interested in and share moments.
Enjoy a good laughs together.
5.
Share About Mistakes You Have Made You can really connect with your teenagers when you level with them.
When your teenagers come to you about a mistake they've made or you find out about the mistake they've made be honest with them.
Let them know that you've made mistakes.
Help them realize that they do not have to be afraid of making mistakes.
Explain to them that everyone makes mistakes.
The important thing is to learn from our mistakes and not make them again.
When you do this you will be taking a lot of pressure and stress out of their lives.
Explain to them throughout life we will learn through situations we find ourselves in.
Tell them how you learned through situations you were in.
Put them at ease.