What To Do When Your Kid is Lazy

Lazy may be a relative word depending on how one sees it. We shall not dwell on the negative because it is in relation to children. Children have so many potentials and are not born lazy but may decide not to be active for various reasons. You may see your kid lagging behind in grades, not wanting to get up early, etc. idleness is not a character that any parent would be proud of from their kid. Every parent wants an active and strong kid that does what he or she is supposed to do. But, in reality, no kid is born lazy, the fact is lazy kids develop the trait and therefore it is possible for a parent to get rid of the trait. Kids are most of the time unaware of their goals and motivation and they behave in certain ways because that is how they believe they can be expressive.

If your kids lazy then the first thing is to discover the cause of your kid’s laziness because that serves as the root of the solution.

Here are some causes:

1. Kids could be trying to save face

It might be a possibility that your kid is not putting in effort into things because if they try and fail, everyone will know their incapable. By putting in their best effort and failing, they will expose their inadequacy and inferiority. This is the reason why some kids prefer not to put any effort and fail they would use the excuse of not studying to cover up their inability. Just to avoid being judged.

2. The need for attention

It could be that the only time your kid gets the attention he or she needs is from when they cause a commotion. This makes the child the center of conversations and at that, the moment the kid becomes the most important thing on everyone’s mind. Hence, the kid acts lazy just to get that much energy used on him and glad that everyone talks about his issue.

3. Over pampering and lack of responsibility

Some parents have contributed to their kid’s laziness by making them feel superior by having someone else do all the work for the kid. So if a kid has a nursemaid that takes on all their responsibilities, there is a likely chance that that kid will begin to feel superior and evade their own duties.

Now that you know some of the cause of laziness in your kid you can know read below to see the next step to use to stop your kid from being lazy.

1. Let them do things for themselves

Do not ever do anything for your kid that they can do for themselves. Do not play the role of a nursemaid when they can look after themselves. Should in case they forget their knapsack or miss a ride to school, they can learn from the consequences of making the choices.

2. Learn to hold back on some things

Do not make it easy for your kid by giving him or her anything they ask for. It may be difficult to say no especially when you can afford things but doing it now will help in the long run. When your kid asks for money for a movie or wanting to buy new sneakers, learn to say no sometimes especially if it is not necessary. Make the choice of showing your kids how working extra for the things that really matter to them.

3. Be a model

Be an example to your kid because they immolate you regardless of how hard you try to avoid it. How you behave, talk and think affects shapes your kid’s behavior too. They will imitate it subconsciously by watching you and doing the same. So, if you are a parent that loves to lounge on your comfortable sofa in the middle of the middle of the day with a cold glass of soda while watching your favourite soap opera or perhaps do not like to do dishes and leave them in the sink till the morning, you are constantly late at paying bills or taking your kid to activities etc, you will discover that your kid will also be lazy in these aspects. Therefore, you can’t get all worked up when you see your kid’s room all messed up, while he or she plays with their iPod or favorite game, Fail to do laundry’s or take the dog for a stroll.

Your kid will accept your lazy actions as being normal and will see nothing wrong with it and as such, will follow suit. If you are not strict on yourself and follow your own guidelines on house chores and activities, your kid will do the same. If you do everything on time and at the right place, your kid will want to follow in your footstep because he or she will believe that it is the right way. Live an energetic lifestyle and not a lazy one.

4. You need to set expectations

It does not matter what age your kid is whether pre-school or teen, there is plenty of age-appropriate chores kids can do. Getting them involved in house chores is good because it is a way of giving them responsibility. When introducing your kids to the concept of house chores, sit down with them first and explain the importance of what they will be doing and how they will contribute to the upkeep of their home. Take time to teach them how to do the things you want them to do. Do not assume that they already know how to when they probably have never done it before.

Teens can be harder to convince about getting involved in house chores but don’t give up and set some time to share why it is important that they help around in the house. They could help in the laundry or loading the dishwasher etc and it would really help if you stopped nagging and focus on showing them how to do things. Complaining does not help, but by telling and showing them how to do things, you have a likely chance of getting them on board. Learn to praise your kids when they make the tiniest efforts and you could offer incentives like tickets to a movie, gift cards when they help out willingly.

5. Do not leave your kids out of food preparation

Every family has to eat and this means there is always grocery bills and this is usually not cheap. Kids may turn out to be wasteful or picky eaters when they are not involved in helping out in the kitchen. Get your kids to go with you for grocery shopping, or meal planning and when preparing the meal. You will discover that your kids will eat better and waste less food. They will also have something to do in the evenings rather than just punching their smartphones or electronics.

6. Perspective can change our mindset a lot

Teach your kid how to make giving and volunteering a habit. Get them involved in things like the soup kitchen, literacy programs, food drives volunteering at animal shelters etc. By seeing how others survive and what they go through your kid will value the life he or she has and they will also learn to appreciate the art of using their downtime and their resources to help with worthy causes which also keeps them busy and not wasteful of their time.

In conclusion, nurture the attitude of commitment in your kid. This character is very important because once an individual is committed to something, whether it is a goal, a homework, chore job or any other thing, they are more likely to put in their best effort. Always show concern for your kids. Learn to say encouraging words that tell them that you have faith in them and are sure that they can get up and do something. So talk less about their laziness and pay more attention to other positive behaviors. The steps above are to help you and your kid forge an understanding which will be a stepping stone to making your kid get rid of the lazy attitude. Laziness is a bad character and one very parent must try to get rid of before it consumes your kid. So use the steps above to ensure that your kid becomes more energetic and involved in things that will make the home better and successful in the future.