Sometimes teenagers show no interest in learning.
Every school day seems to be a struggle.
Homework battles are epic.
It’s as if our teens drift along like tumbleweed in the wind…
Whatever happened to that mojo that burst out of them when they were younger? Can it be found again?
Lazy or Lacking in Motivation?
Sometimes teenagers pull off award-winning sloth impressions that would impress Sid in the Ice Age movies!
Jesting aside, it can be a real worry to see your child so demotivated while you are invested in giving them a fantastic start to their future.
What on earth could have happened to turn them into ‘THIS?’ – you might hear yourself saying – more often than once … a day.
And at parent’s evening, you might see that same angst in other parents’ eyes who forlornly wander from teacher to teacher hoping for a ray of light to surface.
There – as you listen to common complaints that your child is simply ‘lazy,’ or ‘don’t push themselves enough’, or ‘are not trying hard enough,’- you might catch yourself wondering what on earth you can do to stem the tide.
Lack of Motivation Might be Because of…
- Changes at school such as a favourite teacher being off sick or leaving
- Social factors. Perhaps your teen doesn’t feel as if they fit in?
- Anxiety about not being good enough or fear of failure
- What happened last year at school – and they’ve carried it with them
- Learning issues that leave them feeling behind or stupid
- A build up of pressure that just gets too much
- Low confidence often comes across as negativity
Not to mention that teenagers also confront all those growing up hassles, toxic friendships and hormones that make every day a struggle at the best of times.
Where do you go from here?
Tackling Troubles Together
The one thing that never works is heaping even more pressure or guilt on a troubled teenager. It can backfire…
Instead, sit down with your teen to have an honest, cards-on-the-table chat. Without anger or frustration, but talk to them as adults.
It might be that your teen isn’t sure what to do next year, and that they are overwhelmed…
Teenagers often switch off when they are stuck in a subject – and then the feeling builds to the point where all they feel is negative energy about specific lessons – or even school as a whole.
It’s important to discuss the next stage – a college course or whatever they’ve set their sights on – and then look at what entry requirements are needed and go from there.
Then narrow down which are the problem subjects, and make a plan to tackle what steps they can take to make things better.
Need a Tutor to Get Back On Track?
Parents tell us that our team of experienced tutors are a Godsend – that one to one sessions have literally turned their child’s fortunes around.
Feel free to get in touch with our lead tutor, Alison, to discuss how we can help support you both get to the heart of that lack of motivation and onto a more positive learning path..
With thanks to Middle Earth HJ/com for the photo credit
Tags: anxiety, college course, fear of failure, low confidence, motivation issues, parents evening