Dale Carnegie once said, “There is only one way… to get anybody to do anything. And that is by making the other person want to do it.”

So here’s the million dollar question: how can we make our kids want to learn?

To answer that question, think about why we do the things we do. Even if it’s something we don’t enjoy, isn’t there always something in it for us?

If we hate cleaning the house, we might do it anyway if we like a clean house. If we go to a job every day that we dislike, we do it to get paid.

In these cases, a clean house and getting paid are the rewards.

And that’s the key. Find what your child likes or what truly motivates him, and use that to make him want to work during his lessons.

Keep in mind that what one child likes may not be very motivating for another child.

Time on a swing may be a key strategy for one child while playing board games may be motivating for another.

For other kids, lots of praise may be the answer. In fact, praise is the one reward that just about everyone likes. Don’t we all want to be recognized for the good things we do?

In the article at the link at the end of this message, I talk about lots of ideas for rewards and ways to motivate our kids to do their schoolwork.

You can start with those ideas, or they can be the starting point for you to figure out what will work best for your child. Trial and error is your friend here as you search for what works for you.

Of course, if your child is already happy to participate in her lessons, then the lessons themselves are her reward. This may be hard to believe, but some kids really do love to learn.

But most parents and teachers don’t have it so easy. In these cases, our kids need extra motivation. If this describes your situation, check out the link at the end of this message for ideas that could make a big difference for your child.

Warm Regards,


Kay Donato