Why motivation matters

1. Motivation Helps Your Kid Keep Her Eyes on the Prize Motivation helps your child set goals and work towards achieving those objectives. It helps determine the choices she makes—whether she signs up for chemistry or drama, or whether she spends the evening studying or catching the latest James Franco flick. 2. Motivation Pushes Him to Go the Extra Mile Whether your child is training for a race or looking to bump up a B+ to an A-, motivation pushes him to run the extra mile or complete the extra credit. His increased effort and enthusiasm helps keep the adrenaline flowing. 3. Motivation Helps Him Overcome Obstacles A motivated child presses forward to obtain his goal despite interruptions and setbacks. This ability to persevere is a sign of growing maturity! 4. Motivation Lights a Fire in His Brain Motivation illuminates thinking. Actively wanting to accomplish something helps your child focus, understand and process the information she needs to reach her goal. 5. Motivation is a Stimulus that Rewards and Punishes Motivation helps determine which consequences your child finds rewarding or punishing. If a child is academically motivated, he'll work hard to earn an A and feel demoralized if he gets a low score. 6. Extrinsic Motivation Helps Shape Behavior Your child is extrinsically motivated if she's pushed by external factors to do something. (For example, you promise her candy if she behaves in school or a teddy bear if she sits through her doctor's appointment.) 7. Intrinsic Motivation Helps Your Child Look Within Herself Your child is intrinsically motivated when she pushes herself to achieve out of her own volition. (For example, a student who is intrinsically motivated to learn math enjoys the problem-solving process or thinks that math is an important skill.) Intrinsic motivation is more powerful than extrinsic motivation because it challenges your child to truly believe in the inherent value of her goal.