Keeping Kids Motivated After Spring Break

When the weather starts getting warmer, spring fever kicks in and affects not only adults, but children as well. Parents and teachers may find children have difficulty concentrating and staying motivated after spring break. Here are some ideas to help combat spring fever with your kids.

Keep a calendar. Mark down the last day of school as well as any holidays and days off in between. Keep this in a central place so you and your child can mark down each day as it passes. This is a good place to keep upcoming events marked on so kids can easily see days they can look forward to. Also mark down due dates for projects and set small goals for your children to accomplish parts of the project so it is done by the due date and they continuously feel a sense of accomplishment. This will help prevent them from becoming overwhelmed and avoid those last minute rushes to get projects and assignments done.

Be a good role model. Kids watch adults and use them as models for behavior. Take advantage of warm weather to do projects around the house and yard that have been put off and engage the kids' help. Stay active and use your own spring fever as a motivator to get your kids moving and to keep active. Use this time to start good exercise habits.

Get your kids involved in a sport. Exercise is a great way to alleviate boredom and to get rid of excess energy they may have. Attending practices and games will keep them going and help the days pass, as well as give them a sense of community, a chance to socialize and develop motor skills and good physical health as well as good sportsmanship. Again, remember that you act as a role model for your child. Your sportsmanship and positive encouragement will go a long way. Practicing with them in the yard or at a park will keep them motivated and get you involved as well.

Plan for a summer vacation together. Have kids make a list of all the items that the family will need to bring and those things that have to get done before the trip time. Camping trips are great for planning tasks as they can go through all the camping items your family owns and check them prior to use. This would be a fun time to set the tent up in the backyard or in the living room and let the kids have a mini camping trip on the weekend if they do well in school during the week. Enlist their help in selecting a vacation. Get brochures and look them over as a family. Use this as a motivating force to keep your kids going. Remind them the trip is also contingent on them doing well and trying their best in school for the rest of the school year. Use this time also as a way to educate your child on the different places you look at together in the brochures or online. If you do have a trip picked out, borrow or purchase a book on the area you are going to visit and take time during the week to read from it so you all learn a little bit about your destination before you get there. This will be a good reminder for them to keep on track in school and it will help you and your family to make the most of your vacation.

Make the most of the weekends. Take advantage of the warmer weather by taking the whole family to the park for picnics, a game of catch or Frisbee in the yard or hikes. Teach them about wildlife, the natural surroundings, and local birds and animals. This will also give them something to look forward to during the week when they may feel less motivated.

Consider a reward system for good grades, projects completed, and other goals you and your child can set together. Working towards a goal will help keep your kids motivated after spring break when school seems endless and there is little to look forward to. Set these goals together so you have your kids' buy in and know they are willing to work towards the set goals. Come up with a reinforcement schedule that will be easy for them to succeed at. Remember that difficult to achieve goals will in the long run not serve as a good motivating force for them and will instead overwhelm them and they will be more likely to stop working towards the goals. Use rewards that your kid sees as a rewards. If they enjoy stickers, use them; but if they are too old for stickers or see them as silly, this would not be a good reward to use as it is not appealing and not reinforcing.

Get kids involved in volunteer and charity work. This will teach them the value of giving to others, hard work and give them new social connections, as well as a sense of good work, which will leave them feeling good. Pick out the organization together so you know your kids will be more likely to look forward to going. Consider having the whole family get involved to increase their motivation even when they don't feel like going. Most kids love animals. Volunteering at your local animal shelter would be a great way to give back and teach kids about the value of volunteer work while having the kids engaged in an activity they actually enjoy. Soup kitchens and raising funds by participating in walks for local charities are also great ways to volunteer your time and have the kids more likely to enjoy the time they spend volunteering.

Get your kids involved in new activities and lessons they enjoy such as horseback riding, swimming, gymnastics, or other hobbies. Find out what your child enjoys doing or would like to try and encourage them to develop skills in this area. If your child likes cooking, have them create new meals with you in the kitchen and provide assistance for the family dinner, or consider taking a cooking class together. If your child enjoys working with their hands, get their assistance in building something or working on a project around the home. Adults too often don't let kids get involved in things that need to be done around the home because they feel it would take too long, they worry their kid might be injured or just not do it right, thereby having to redo it. Think carefully about the message you are sending your child if you find yourself not letting your kids help. Kids love to feel like they are helpful and useful-play on this and make it to your advantage. If you do have to do something over, it is not the worst thing in the world. Chances are, if you take the time to show them how to do it right and provide supervision without being too critical, they will learn how to do it the correct way.

In addition to the above suggestions, remember to always keep your kids on a schedule. Ensure they stick to their bedtimes so they have a good night's sleep and are not grouchy in the morning. If kids are tired, they are going to be less motivated to keep going in school after spring break. Ensure they are also eating healthy meals and snacks, and not ingesting too many foods with high sugar and salt contents, which would also affect their concentration and motivation levels. Remember that you are their number one role model and the example you set sends loud and clear messages to them. Keep in mind that in order to motivate children, they need to often feel they are getting rewarded-take the time to figure out what motivates your kid and what things they are more likely to work towards. Also, don't be too critical or too demanding. Nothing will cause a lack of motivation more than a kid who feels they just can't do anything right.