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Attitude is reflected in:
- your outlook
- your behavior
- your countenance
- your worldview
- your state of mind
- where your heart takes you
Arrogance, indifference, boredom, enthusiasm, gratitude—these are some examples of attitudes, both bad and good.
These behavioral symptoms give us a clue about what’s going on in the heart of a child.
For example, if your child begins to pout when she doesn’t get her way or when you try to reach deeply into her heart about an issue, she is saying, “Your response to my demand or the words you are speaking are of no value to me.”
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Attitude is a by-product of the heart.
Motivating children to learn requires that we moms use the clues children give us through their attitudes to discover what’s going on in our children’s hearts. |
Attitude is a statement of
Outward attitude reflects |
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We can only impact the values of another. |
How do I help my children develop a positive attitude about learning—or just a good attitude in general?
I want them to be self-motivated to respond to situations and to respond to their own learning in a godly way. |
To address an attitude, we must impact our children’s values and beliefs.
Ask yourself, what molds the values of my child? What impacts his thinking?
The pyramid to your right illustrates the bases of attitude.
- Whatever inputs a person receives will affect his thinking (Proverbs 4:23).
- His thinking establishes his values and beliefs—who he is (Proverbs 23:7).
- His inward values and beliefs are reflected in his attitude (Luke 6:45).
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1. INPUTS
Whether you are trying to adjust the attitude of your child or your own attitude, focus on the input level. Begin by governing the input your child receives as well as the input you receive.
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The sources of input to your left affect a person’s thinking.
While facing the challenge of motivating children to learn, prayerfully ask the Lord to reveal to you what inputs are affecting your children’s thinking, which ultimately affects what they believe, leading to the attitudes you see in their lives. Also prayerfully seek the Lord about inputs that are affecting your thinking and what you believe.
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2. HOPE
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Be a visionary leader, offering your child hope through your words and actions, just as God Himself offers you hope through His Word and actions.
To offer hope, look back on the progress made to date as well as look forward with vision to future. These two “eyes” converge to give us the perspective we need to carry out our tasks in the present. |
A desire of some good,
Favorable and confident expectation, Webster’s 1828 dictionary
(Romans 8:24) |
Teach your teen to:
- envision the broad picture: “You are developing a good work ethic—that will serve you in your adult years—when you mow the lawn faithfully as well as when you complete your deskwork each day. You are being prepared for responsible adulthood.”
- see the future benefit or understand the value: “You are learning this math because it will help you to balance a checkbook for the earnings you receive from your diligent work. Can you see that future vision? You’ve seen Mommy and Poppy balancing a checkbook.”
- judge himself by his actions, not his intentions: “You say you wanted to have that work completed but it is not. What do your actions reveal to you?”
Find out what your children value.
How? Simply observe them, listen to them, and talk with them (not at them). Pray for the revelation of who your children are and what they value. Pray!
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Let your children know your heart—that you want to provide for what they value. |
Does your child value puzzles? times of creativity? projects to design? learning independently? physical activity? people interaction? serving and protecting?
Often an unmotivated child is one who believes he must fit into a box. It is up to you to discard the box that keeps his motivation oppressed. Then look into his heart—what he values—and release him to be who he was created to be. |
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Motivating children to learn is a four-step process:
- Affect your children’s values by teaching them to self-govern the inputs they receive.
- Teach your children to evaluate the effects of the inputs they receive upon their thinking.
- Instill the principles of Godliness in your children’s lives so they can compare their thinking to truth. Their thinking controls what they value.
- Hold them accountable for their attitudes by returning them to evaluative thinking and to the Word of God.
And finally, for you, Mom, as you pray each day asking the Lord for the wisdom for motivating children to learn, ask yourself, What is the real project today? Is it math and science or is it releasing my child from what is binding him so he can walk in the fullness of Life in Christ?
You will both grow is wisdom, godliness, and motivation as you tackle this heart issue together with honesty, prayer, and love.
lack of motivation, bad attitudes, and boredom—
in our children and ourselves—
as keys to unlock what binds us.
Help us to see what inputs are affecting
our children and us negatively.
Renew our minds. Correct our thinking.
Teach us to value what you value—relationships!
May our children know by our words and actions
that we value them.
Thank You, Lord, that your love for us
has motivated us to persevere in our parenting and homeschooling.
May we grow more and more into Your likeness.
there your heart will be also.
~Luke 12:34
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