How to Use Public Speaking to Help Your Child Get Motivated
There are many children that seem to lack motivation or a life focus. They wander through life letting life happen to them rather than taking the initiative—to be deliberate or determined.
How can you motivate them? How can you help them find their place in life? How can you help them to get a life focus?
You could send them for counseling. Or hope and pray that they will soon grow out of it. Or you can be proactive. You could use public speaking to help them find their unique path in life.
But how?
You could send sign your child up for a public speaking group. Or you could send him for private public speaking lessons. Or you could make it into a fun project that both of you could do together.
If you want to create your own public speaking self help project here are a few guidelines you could follow:
Take time to Talk
Take time to talk to your child. Find out what is really going on. Listen for the things that are not said. Observe his nonverbal communication. Ask specific questions so that you can clarify things or get to the root of his problem.
Identify the Problem Area
Identify the problem with your child. Let her know what you have heard and understood. Then ask her if she agrees with your observation. Don’t argue the point—you just want to help here to become more aware of the situation.
Explore Options Together
Explore solution options together. Let your child take the lead. Brainstorm what actions can be taken to address his lack of motivation or focus.
Come up with a Plan
After you both had time to discuss the problem and you have come to a consensus about it design a plan of action. Allow your child to take the lead in this. Engage him in the process so that he will know that it is not a directive but collaboration and he is the head (the leader). Remember to incorporate a public speaking component into your plan (speech, research, reading etc.).
Exposure
Think of ways to expose your child to opportunities that will help her to focus. Present her with situations where she would have to solve problems—develop a plan or course of action in everyday activities. You want to encourage the use of and the refinement of her planning, organizational and reasoning skills.
Create Excitement
As the parent create an atmosphere of excitement. Your child will need your help. He may not be so enthusiastic that the plan will work. Or he may not have the confidence that he can be successful. Let your words and actions be supportive for you are his support system.
Encourage Your Child to Read
One of the key ways to be an accomplished public speaker is to read and accumulate knowledge. Encourage your child to read a variety of literature—to find what is of interest to her, or what gets her excited.
Research
Once your child has identified what is of interest to him he can do more research on the subject to become more versed in it.
Engage Your Child in Conversation
Talk to her about what she has learned and discovered. Try to do some research on your own as a way of supporting her efforts. It will also allow you to engage her in healthy banter.
Prepare a Project
Develop a project that you can do together—but let the child take the lead in designing and planning it. Let him hone his analytical, problem solving and leadership skills. The project could be interactive (like an interview), or it could be a speech presentation, but whatever your child chooses it should be interesting and fun for him.
Get a Buddy
If your child would feel more comfortable with a peer let her ask a buddy to go through the process with her. She could ask a friend or relative that is naturally motivated and focused. Or she could select someone who has to work on the same weakness.
The benefit of this exercise is that it can improve your communication with your child, allow you to bond on a deeper level, it enhances listening skills, it helps your child to step up as a leader, it develops problem solving, analytical, and reasoning skills. Furthermore, it helps your child to learn how to plan a project, increases his or her reading and research skills, and your child will learn the value of constructive feedback.
If you need a resource that will help you help your child get motivated check out…
Tags:communication,excuse me let me speak,how to help your child get motivated,leader,leadership skills,life focus,public speaking
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