Comments

• RD Harmony, wichita, KS 12/01/08

  It's an interesting list, but it doesn't mention a single life skill, other than auto driving. (Yes, bicycling might be a life skill, but cheerleading is not.) We deserve what we get when the adult leadership here (the author) leaves out cooking, laundry, bicycle maintenance, building a fire, tree trimming, faucet washer repair, basic sewing, and a host of other things that children need to know. Believe me, there is fun in learning the mastery of skills--and plainly there is both a shortage of expectation and of instruction in many schools, many homes and by counseling professionals. The Junior League, locally, has closed their thrift shop and is diverting resources to help non-performing students (that have been diverted to a special "ranch") to learn cooking basics. I find it rather sad that a non counseling/non education group of outsiders is moved to "point the way" in this manner.
  Good parenting is teaching children a host of "needed for adulthood" skills--always has been, and always will be. How did we ever get to the point that we actually believe that we are considering "drive" without talking about life skill mastery?

• Sheri Storey 11/20/08

  Anita...I think the insight here on how to help our children to gain more drive in their life is to look at the 20 questions and see how we can help add these to their life or help to make the answers be YES! Get him/her involved in a sport or school activity and be interested to go watch them play and even practice. Go to his likes....play cards with him so he wants to hang out with you or something he is interested in...ect. I think the artical was looking for the parent to draw from it and gain insight not just list due abc.....hope this helps.

• Anita Langholz 11/17/08

  I don't see how this article told me anything except that my son is not motivated in some ways. I was hoping it would actually give suggestions since the title says "9 ways to motivate..."

• Elaine Miner, beacon falls, CT 11/14/08

  Thank you VERY Much Sharon Be for suggesting Robert Brooks book!
  -Elaine/ Connecticut.

• Sharon Be;; 11/14/08

  Little or none of this advise is very helpful for kids with LD or ADHD, who do not have the organizational skills or impulse control to "just do it". These kids need specific structures, strategies and skills in order to accomplish what other kids do automatically. They give up after trying and failing so many times, and then get labeled as "unmotivated." Let's keep in mind that sometimes kids need help learning *how* to accomplish these things. See work by Robert Brooks on resilience for how to motivate discouraged kids and what skills you can teach them that will help them get to this point