In a previous article, we discussed about extrinsic motivation and how it can affect your teen with their decision making. By applying a punishment or reward system, parents can motivate their children into doing things that they normally would be skeptical to do. This, of course, can be effective to some, but let’s discuss one other type of motivation that parents should familiarize themselves with: intrinsic motivation.
Intrinsic motivation, or what others might refer to as self-determination, is based upon internal factors, curiosity, challenge, and effort. The focus here is not so much on identifying the character of the child as much as designing an environment that encourages self-motivation.
One reality that plenty of parents refuse to accept is that you can’t force anyone, let alone a teenager, to be motivated for a task or activity. You can, however, create an environment that he/she will feel safe to explore, learn, and achieve their full potential.
Often, the parents’ need for control is what causes signs of anxiety in teens to appear. Parents must be careful not to put too much pressure on their child.
Both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation have their place, but the latter gives parents a far better return on their time and energy investments.
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