How To Motivate Your Kids

Have you ever struggled to get your child to do something responsible like tidy up after themselves, do household chores or finish their homework?

Despite asking nicely and doing everything in your power to motivate them, they simply responded with misery and avoided listening to anything you had to say. You're not alone. Most of us struggle to motivate ourselves so trying to motivate another person, a child for that matter, can be really tough.

So how do you do it?

Some parents like Amy Chua (best-selling author of Battle Hymn of The Tiger Mother) argue that it's best to give children no options, no treats or incentives for hard work. According to Chua's method of parenting, children have no choice and no power.

Whilst Amy makes a valid point in terms of understanding parental relationships, giving your kids no choice but to do what they say isn't always effective. Rather than follow the 'tiger mom' approach, you can take things into control without your kids deeming you a monster.

Here are some options:

1. Allow them to do chores/homework/duties whilst having fun. For example, I personally hate tidying up- I really do! However, there is nothing as fun as tidying up whilst listening to my favourite songs or watching a great film. Similarly, children don't mind doing hard things so far as they're doing them and having a bit of fun at the same time.

2. Give them options. So your son hates taking out the bins but doesn't mind mopping the floor? Perfect! Let him/her choose which chore or duty they prefer. In doing so you're allowing them to exercise their own judgement, be independent and you're also learning about what they do or don't like.

3. Don't bribe them or accept bribes. Teaching your child that bribing is acceptable is unhealthy and can cause them to believe that manipulating people is acceptable. Bribing might seem like an easy and effortless option but in the long run it won't pay off!

Your homework (yes parents get homework too!)

Practice implementing at least one of these three tips this week and see if it has an effect your child.

Let me know how it goes by leaving a comment below or by liking this blog post!

The Tutoress

Move Over Beyonce...Boys Really Do Run The World

A level results have just come out and thousands of teenagers across Great Britain are either screaming in horror (because results are at a record low) or rejoicing because they've actually passed (congrats!) For the first time in 21 years, results have fallen and the cost of studying a three year degree in now a lovely £53k.

To top it all off, boys are actually doing better than girls by a whooping 0.1%. Whilst that figure doesn't sound high, the fact that boys are doing better for the first time in donkey years, says a lot.

What does it say?

• Firstly, it suggests that whilst girls might out perform boys at primary and secondary level, boys start to shine after the age of 16.
• This indicates that there's something very wrong with the current system. Is it favoured towards seeing girls succeed in the early years? Perhaps.
• Finally, it reflects the beginning of the end for girls. I know that sounds melodramatic but the reality is that whilst girls are encouraged to succeed in education, all we're really expected to do (in the long run) is bare children.

And it doesn't stop there. No matter how qualified, educated or talented we are, the reality is that almost all of us reach an age where we realise that we have to choose between being mothers and careerers (yes I know that's not a word)

The point I'm trying to make is that no matter how well girls do in our education, we're still fighting the same battle. It's career vs motherhood. This isn't a battle that starts at 25. It starts at 16 or 17 or 18 when we make that ever-so-pertinent decision to go into further education and eventually to university.

Boys are therefore doing better than girls because by the time they reach 16,17 or 18, they realise on some level that they are in charge!

They run the world. Their innate inability to bare children puts them in a far more fortunate position in terms of their careers, in terms of status and in terms of power.

Of course they'll out perform girls, they have no reason not to.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that girls can't succeed in education & career life (millions of us have and will continue to do so). Rather, I'm saying that girls are still to an extent disadvantaged when it comes to educational and occupational success. In a PC world where no one wants to talk about it or admit it, we're keeping our mouths shut and ignoring the fact that women still have a double burden and that burden is a difficult one to bare.

Think about it. Let me know if you agree/ disagree in the comments below.