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My wife and I were having problems coaxing my 5 year old kid to complete his homework, which I find that it's really a lot for a 5 year old kid. There seems never ending homework for him daily, be it English, Mandarin, Malay Language, Maths and etc. Sometimes I really pity young kids nowadays. And, these kindergartens too, always wanted to produce brilliant students and hence, pushes the kids to the limits.
Though we tried many ways to get him to finish his homework, be it fear, bribery (of getting him a toy), talking him out, scolding and etc, we still unable to get his little fingers to hold his pencil and start working. Finally, after hours of getting him to work, I was scrolling through his textbook and realised there's always a star given to him for every exercises that he did. Thus, I told him that if he don't do his homework, there will be no star tomorrow. And, guess what, he started working on it.
And, that's the power of motivation!! I believe it works for anyone and in every situation instead of other methods like fear to get someone going. Create the goal and visualised the success picture to make someone or ourselves works towards it. Just like my kid who wanted another star stamped on his textbook and makes him feel good and proud of himself where he can shown it to his aunts and uncles.
Though we tried many ways to get him to finish his homework, be it fear, bribery (of getting him a toy), talking him out, scolding and etc, we still unable to get his little fingers to hold his pencil and start working. Finally, after hours of getting him to work, I was scrolling through his textbook and realised there's always a star given to him for every exercises that he did. Thus, I told him that if he don't do his homework, there will be no star tomorrow. And, guess what, he started working on it.
And, that's the power of motivation!! I believe it works for anyone and in every situation instead of other methods like fear to get someone going. Create the goal and visualised the success picture to make someone or ourselves works towards it. Just like my kid who wanted another star stamped on his textbook and makes him feel good and proud of himself where he can shown it to his aunts and uncles.
Have a good week!
I remember the last time enjoy doing my homework all the time! n love to see those fancy chops given by teacher in each pages of my books! heee!
ReplyDeletehahaa..now u know.. wei, i think last time u were also very lazy.. at his age, at least.. u only start studying in secondary.. hahhaa...
ReplyDeleteThen why not enroll him to another kiddy which is not so excellence orientated? a kiddy that focus in the fun of studying instead of study to get A.
ReplyDeleteThe star system might work now but soon he would feel too pressured to get a star.
Haha! Yeah motivation works best. But then again, inspiration is better : )
ReplyDeleteKids need a lot of motivations and encouragement, they are more willing to do something with compliments.
ReplyDeletehahaha...agree with u...motivation is the best but i am a lazy ass person...hard to be motivated...
ReplyDeleteCaroline ..hehehe...and those chops make your day.
ReplyDeletereanaclaire - no leh...i remember I'm a hardworking boy then. Very studious! :)
ReplyDeletesmallkucing - it's ok la...sometimes it's good for him too. Furthermore, he only have 1 more year to go before primary and he may have an extra edge over the majority.
ReplyDeletefoongpc - Hard to find thing to inspire kids... hahaha
ReplyDeleteCindy - absolutely right.
ReplyDeleteVialentino - well, maybe money will motivates u..haha
ReplyDeleteHi Chris, ha ha, kids are kids. I too had similar problems with my kids when young.
ReplyDeleteWhen my youngest was 6...always fooling around and forgetting his homework....I pasted a big picture of a mountain bike in his room, put the price underneath....
And pinned a $20.00 note under.
He knew what $20.00 was.
I said, 'everytime I check you done your homework (once a week when I was home), there'll be another $5.00 next to it...end of term, results above 90%, the bike and money is yours'.
He scored $95%....he got the bike....
He some years back graduated with 2 degrees, Robotics Engineering, and Aerospace Engineering.
And 7 top American plane manufacturing companies approached him, gave him air tickets to fly to US, visit their plants, join them.
Today he is a trouble shooter for one of them...and? He free time fools around going mountain biking with his own hi-tech $3500 mountain bike.
Have a nice day, Lee.
Tsk. Kids these days have a horrible life. My son included. I feel like slapping teachers for giving my brat homework... making me tension only. Am I an un-responsible mum for saying this? Excuse me, I think not... cuz I think we're robbing children of their childhood by making them sit at the table and do homework all day long!
ReplyDeleteAs a teacher... I condemn these kind of education system, and I daresay, STP will agree with me too. Education should be about learning, and not just copying repetitive notes and memorizing.
But den again... I dun know any better. I dun grow up in Malaysia...Malaysian education system really... SUX.
ps: Uncle... you see la wud happen to Sofiah Yusoff... last time press her so much to learn math and go U at the age of 14... apa cerita in the end... jadi Shilpa Lee...kno who? Femes prostitute.
ya, I used to motivate my young students by giving them stars too.
ReplyDeleteYa lah,,, i always think this, each and every one of the children has different quality but the sad thing the system itself does not do that for them,, all they all is straight As,,,,, die lah like that,,,
ReplyDeletethank you for sharing bro
Uncle Lee - Well done, I guess your son did really well and also have some financial IQs! hahha
ReplyDeleteCleffairy - what to do ...the system is like that unless you are rich enough to enrol them in some international school.
ReplyDeletewenn - yeah, motivation the way to go for kids. They are too young to understand rational explanations.
ReplyDeleteeugene - thanks for coming and you are a great Dad for your kids!
ReplyDelete