6 Tips to Prevent Laziness in Children

4 minutes

The following tips will help you address a problem that all parents face with our children: Laziness

Last update: 18 April, 2018

Boredom and laziness in children should be a concern for parents. This issue has a lot to do with the type of education a child receives.

As parents, it’s our responsibility to guide, motivate and set limits. To combat laziness, we must show our child the importance of hard work and effort in order to reach their goals.

Making things as easy as possible for your child shouldn’t be your objective. On the contrary – doing so will only contribute to your child’s laziness.

While you may be dealing with something temporary, we can’t deny that lack of motivation in children is a constant.

This can be considered a normal attitude in children as long as there is open dialogue between parent and child. This dialogue should be void of condemnation and excessive worry.

If you allow your children to use technology constantly, they’ll get used to instant gratification with little effort. This creates a problem.

Technology tends to entertain our children too easily and thus contributes to the appearance of laziness.

Possible consequences

Laziness in children can have serious consequences, such as the following:

Delays in learning.
Loss of the habit of working.
Lack of interest in studies.
Difficulty sleeping

6 tips for battling against laziness in children

To avoid these types of behavior, we want to suggest some tips. The ideas below will help you face some of the lazy habits your child displays:

1. Do a self evaluation

If you’re lazy, then it’s likely that your children will be lazy as well. Evaluate your own work ethic. Your work habits are exactly the habits your child will model.

2. Work with your kids

The best way to teach your children good work ethic is to work alongside them. Teach your children how to do things in a fun way.

Show them the correct way to reach their objectives, and they’ll be sure to feel the satisfaction of a job well done.

Teach your child the importance of hard work. This work ethic will benefit him throughout his entire life.

It’s important that you set aside time to teach your child how to work and help him carry out his projects.

3. Encourage your child’s sense of commitment

A solid sense of commitment is a valuable characteristic to have. When a child commits to something, be it a goal, a task or a job, she’ll be more likely to make a more genuine effort.

Lack of commitment is one of the first steps towards an incomplete or poorly done job. This is, of course, a symptom of laziness.

4. Don’t give your children everything they want

One of the best lessons you can teach your children is that they should make an effort to get what they want. This means that, on many occasions, you’ll have to say no when your little one asks you for something.

Of course, it’s often very difficult to say no to your child. This is especially true when they’re asking for something positive.

But you can’t fulfil your children’s every wish and demand if there’s no commitment or effort on their behalf.

Sometimes the best thing to do is to say no. If your child really wants it, allow him or her to make an effort to obtain it. As a result, your child will learn the value of personal sacrifice.

5. Assign chores

Helping out with household chores is one of the best ways to teach your child the value of hard work from a young age.

Choose tasks that are age appropriate and that your child is capable of completing.

These may include making the bed, setting the table, washing dishes, taking out the trash, sweeping the floor, etc.

If you do everything for your child, you deny him the privilege of learning basic tasks. And at the same time, you may inadvertently be telling your child that he’s incapable.

“Lazy people always talk about what they are thinking about doing, about what they are going to do; those that really do things don’t have time to even talk about what they do”
—Goethe—

6. Patience and prudence

In the face of your child’s lack of motivation, you need to be prudent and stay firm. If you see your child slipping into a void and aren’t finding solutions, be prudent and offer your help, without fear.

Motivation

Sometimes we make the mistake of believing that children are lazy when, in reality, they’re just lacking the proper motivation.

Setting up a system of rewards and consequences for your child‘s efforts can have an immediate effect on your child’s attitude.

Remember, however, that most of the time, rewards do little to create genuine interest in reaching objectives in the long run.

What can you do to motivate you children?

Support their interests.
Convince them of the need for making an effort.
Be encouraging and value your children’s accomplishments.
Defend your children’s strengths.
Be patient.

As you can see, the key to avoiding laziness in children is to provide them with a proper upbringing.

By encouraging bad habits or making life too easy, we only raise individuals who are incapable of going after what they want.

In order to raise motivated, hard working children, there’s nothing better than your company and guidance .