Young kids get motivated by everything. If they see a great dancer, some of them would want to become a dancer. If they see a great soccer player, they want to become a soccer player.
Praising children’s intelligence harms their motivation and it harms their performance.
What the Chinese parent is conveying to the child is not that 'you've got to get A's or else I won't like you.' On the contrary, it's, 'I believe in you so much, I know that you can be excellent.'
I think when you are the parents of a gifted athlete, the best thing in the world you can do is to encourage them, in my opinion. My dad didn't push me and I didn't push my children in athletics.
My plan was to put him on a go-kart track when he was six years-old but he was with his mum at a track in Genk and he called me up crying because he saw a younger guy driving on the track. He said to me 'Daddy, I want to do this,' so when I got home from the Canadian GP, I bought him a go-kart and that's how he started.
Attitudes about the rearing and education of children vary between two extremes. One, which might be labeled “authoritarian” or “coercive,” rests on an assumption that children are by nature irresponsible and lazy, and will do their schoolwork only if they are penalized for a poor performance. The opposite view might be labeled “progressive” or “democratic.” It rests on the assumption that children who are brought up with love, trust, and clear but kind leadership are eager to grow up and be like their parents, eager to explore, learn, master skills, and take on responsibility; they need guidance but not sternness or punishment.
Spock’s book on parenting has sold more copies than any other book with the exception of The Bible.
Some people are just self-motivated - my husband was. I also believe there are many children for whom parental involvement is key.
I was bribed into starting swimming with the promise of sweets and by being told that you can win medals. My mum had given me a bag of medals which she had won when she was young, so the idea of winning medals was very exciting.
Always praise your kid even if he/she is unresponsive to learning. By insulting them and putting them down, you will only push them away and make them feel inadequate around other kids. Have faith that your child's brain is an evolving planet that rotates at its own speed. It will naturally be attracted to or repel certain subjects. Be patient. Just as there are ugly ducklings that turn into swans, there are rebellious kids that turn into serious innovators and hardcore intellectuals.
I didn't push any of my kids into golf, and they played golf because they wanted to.
Parents write to me, or come up to me after shows and ask me 'How can we get our children to be as excited as you obviously were as a child?' It's not necessarily what they want to hear when I say, 'Don't make them practise!'
Parents may be always working, parents may be in and out. When you're dropping them off with coaches, the first thing kids should be coming back and saying is, 'Mom, guess what I learned today? Guess what coach taught me today?'
I don't always have a lot of energy, but my kids almost always revitalize me.
The role of education is to interest the child profoundly in an external activity to which he will give all his potential
Children are to be won to follow liberal studies by exhortations and rational motives, and on no account to be forced thereto by whipping.
My kids are amazing and they are the ones that keep me going.
Being a parent, it is heartening to see your child wake up every day at 5:45 in the morning to pursue his passion and then manage school as well.
My father would make me stand on the table and make me sing. He would give me a P1 reward after every song.
As a producer, I always want to know what makes the kids tick.