What if I told you that there’s a biochemical secret to boosting your child’s motivation levels so it doesn’t fade out before the next term starts?
Now that we’re down to the last two weeks of Term 1, most teenagers are already ‘mentally’ in vacation mode. Motivation levels are dropping fast, and they’re more distracted than ever before the school holidays kick in.
It sounds like you need a magic pill or a revolutionary technique to keep your child’s momentum going. Well, not entirely!
Dopamine is one of the ‘happy hormones’ responsible for making you feel good. It’s a neurotransmitter released by the brain, which is behind our pleasure and reward system. The sense of satisfaction that comes with dopamine drives interest and motivation, which are all essential to keeping teenagers engaged.
In this article, we explore evidence-based strategies you can use to help your child increase their dopamine levels and improve their engagement in school.
Dopamine: The Happy Hormone for Academic Success
Based on a 2023 study by the South Australian government, one in five Australian students are disinterested in school and student disengagement tends to worsen as students get older. The biggest drop in engagement was found happening between Years 7 and 9.
That’s why engagement and motivation are one of the key areas of academic success parents need to focus on to make more positive impact in their child’s learning. When children lose interest in certain subjects or school activities, they tend to be unsatisfied and not find the relevance of school to their lives.
There could be many reasons behind your child’s lack of interest in school, and most parents usually miss what’s common among all teenagers: the biochemical reactions happening in their brains.
According to our friend Rachel Stewart of Practically Learning, student disinterest can be due to a lack of dopamine reinforcement in school activities. This happens when children find social media or other activities more rewarding.
When we asked Rachel how to turn this around and increase dopamine levels for children, she suggested three easy ways:
#1: Habit hacking
Habit hacking involves attaching a new habit, like studying or completing assignments, to an existing habit that already triggers dopamine release for your child.
Let’s say your child finds eating snacks after school fun and satisfying after a busy day. By following study time with snack time, your child begins to associate the act of studying with the positive feeling they get from their snack. This increases their self-drive to initiate study or accomplish their assignments without you or someone else reminding them to.
#2: Mindset hacking
Altering one’s perspective or mindset to view academic responsibilities in a more positive light can also help your child boost their dopamine release related to school. Mindset hacking is all about associating tasks with a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.
For example, if your child isn’t motivated because of overwhelming and ambitious projects, break these down into attainable, small wins so they can easily turn their negative perspective around. When they start to tick these smaller tasks and celebrate, they can build a more positive association with their projects.
By helping teenagers recognise the benefits and rewards of completing tasks, parents can indirectly influence dopamine release and enhance children’s motivation.
#3: Encouragement and Positive Reinforcement
Encouraging teenagers instead of criticising them, especially when they struggle or lose focus, is very important. It doesn’t just create a positive association with school and academic responsibilities. It also helps your child feel safe with you.
If they fell short in their exam results last term, remember to acknowledge their efforts and spin this as an opportunity to be better. If they performed well, celebrate the win with them. By providing positive reinforcement and having an open conversation with your child, you can bolster their motivation and self-esteem.
Want Some Reinforcements?
At Kalibrate-Ed, we love helping children feel rewarded and fulfilled by their efforts and results, cultivating their love for learning even beyond school. That’s why we created an entire suite of resources and tools to help them stay motivated to push through and feel rewarded as they learn.
- Personalised and Structured Study: According to a 2022 eLearning study, personalised learning programs lead to increased student engagement and improved motivation. We can help your child develop a unique and balanced study program designed with opportunities for them to study in a way that works with their strengths and aspirations.
- Assessment Tracker: Instead of just keeping track of deadlines, you can track the outcomes your child achieves and the effort that they put in, which reduces disappointment and mismatched results. It helps eliminate overwhelm, especially those who struggle with procrastination or anxiety. It’s also a good way to remind them and celebrate their wins when they accomplish projects.
- Procrastination Focaliser: There’s plenty parents can do to identify, refocus and re-engage children who fall off track and lose interest in school. The procrastination focaliser helps them take a step back from overwhelm and find the positive reinforcement they need to power through assignments and the rest of the term.
It may seem like magic, but many parents have already turned this into a reality for their children. But here’s the thing at Kalibrate-Ed: It’s simple. When your child is fully engaged with their learning, academic success follows.
If you need more ideas on how to boost your child’s dopamine and help them become more motivated to do well in school, reach out to any of our education strategists. We would love to brainstorm with you and create a tailored plan to unlock your child’s full potential.
