How many times have you asked your child to do the same thing over and over? Why do you have to tell them or remind them repeatedly?
The disciples had to be reminded about the power of Jesus repeatedly as well. Jesus asked them, “Are you still so dull?” and, “How long shall I put up with you?”
Your child may be motivated, but they have a self-based motivation – wanting to do what they want to do when they want to do it. Motivation is whatever provokes us towards action. God’s word speaks about motivation, and Christian motivation is different from those who are unbelievers. As Christians, our motivation or inspiration should come from God and not from the things of this world.
Lee Ann dives deeper into these ways to help you build internal motivation in your child:
- Model the same behavior.
- Too many external motivational prompts can be counterproductive.
- It’s not easy to avoid all external motivation, you can use it to build internal motivation.
- Transfer responsibility to your child to build internal motivation.
- Look for ways to help your child see how they can do things differently.
- Don’t give up! Most children will accept that they can’t do it, or they think, “why should I care if my parent doesn’t care,” and will never learn to be responsible or resilient.
When you help your child become self-motivated by building their internal motivation muscle, your life will be easier as a parent! Listen to Episode 62 with Dr. Scott Turansky, as he also discusses his knowledge about how you can build self-motivation in your child.
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Get a cup of coffee, take about ten minutes to recharge your batteries, and equip your mind so you can raise warriors for Christ that will stand firm in the face of evil! Occasionally, we will be giving away free books – so stay tuned! My team and I are here to serve you all for the glory of our Lord!
