The modern world is constantly evolving, and with its changing society, increasingly popular extracurricular activities are offered to children. Parents know that motivating a child to do something worthwhile is complex and requires work and patience. Drawing attention to the cult of self-development among the younger generation, it becomes clear that for a successful future, extracurricular activities are an essential attribute. Parents can encourage children by following three principles: motivation for their achievements, spending on studying, and personal role models.
Participation in Activities for Successful Studies
To begin with, it is necessary to consider parents’ need for motivation and why it is essential for them to motivate their children. First, children who lead an active social lifestyle and aspire to learn have more success in learning. Students engaged in extracurricular activities demonstrate better academic skills than those who have been less active (Aumètre & Poulin, 2018). This once again proves that despite the effectiveness of regular compulsory education, other hobbies strongly affect the child’s mental capacity. However, the initiative must come from the parent’s side, so they should tune the child to productive work to invent such a reward, which will only be an additional motivation for the child.
Allocation of Funds for Child Development
In approaching the issue of parental responsibility, the financial component of the question is also complicated because parents need to invest in their children’s education. An interesting example is a quote stating that extracurricular activities are “the new knife perforating American communities by social class” (Meier et al., 2018, p. 193). Middle- and low-income families often fail to set an example for their children by engaging in ordinary life and basic needs. However, it is recommended that time and money be allocated for the additional development of the child. For them, the issue of extra activities for children is not as acute as for higher-income people who understand the importance of action for more significant outcomes. At any level of income, it is essential to devote time and money to the child’s hobbies and allow them to develop in different directions because it is an investment in the future.
Parents’ Actions as the Primary Motivation
Peace of mind and self-realization are essential qualities inherent in parents who want to raise educated and versatile members of society. The essence is the proper motivation of children, which should not depend entirely on material encouragement or punishment for the actions performed. The parents’ condition of any child results should be calm and reasonable, as radiated emotions are transmitted to the child’s fragile organism. It is also noted that some parents experience high-stress moments, which “undermines their ability to provide consistent nurturing care” (Yoshikawa et al., 2020, p. 189). Parents who behave measuredly engage in additional activities and set the right example for their children without noticing it. Parents’ lifestyles, behaviors, and attitudes are the main factors on which adults adopt the child’s attention and habits. The child sees the parent as a role model, so the adult needs to live life as he tutors his child.
In conclusion, parents need to focus on their children’s lifestyle and their own. Instead of just demanding perfect results from the child, one should encourage the child to strive for them. With a personal example, they show younger family members how to live, and children intuitively repeat this behavior. Therefore, the parent, developing independently, without words, attract the child to engage in additional activities and self-development, creating the necessary motivation.
References
Aumètre, F., & Poulin, F. (2018). Academic and behavioral outcomes associated with organized activity participation trajectories during childhood. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 54. Web.
Meier, A., Hartmann, B. S., & Larson, R. (2018). A quarter century of participation in school-based extracurricular activities: Inequalities by race, class, gender, and age?Journal of Youth & Adolescence, 47, 1299–1316. Web.
Yoshikawa, H., Wuermli, A. J., Britto, P. R., Dreyer, B., Leckman, J. F., Lye, S., Ponguta, L.
A., Richter, L. M., & Stein, A. (2020). Effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic on early childhood development: Short and long-term risks and mitigating program and policy actions. Journal of Pediatrics, 223, 188–193. Web.