Children today seem to be more obsessed with beating their high score on a game than they do with what goes into their heads at school. If you ask a child what their favorite time of day is, you’ll most likely hear: “lunch time” or “dinner time.”

As adults, we can relate to that. But 15-20 years ago there weren’t as many distractions as there are today. There are so many more channels now on TV that fit the needs of everybody, there are more and more game consoles coming out each year so it’s understandable that some kids would rather watch a marathon of Spongebob Squarepants than tackle their Maths homework.

But as a parent, you have to encourage your kids to see the importance of being passionate about learning. Nagging them, or locking them in their room until they’ve finished all their work will definitely not help. You have to make it fun, and worth their time.

The passion and drive to learn are different from just cramming to get the grade they need to please parents or teachers. Those that develop an interest in what’s being taught in schools will most likely continue that thirst for knowledge later on in life, and that is a trait that will, again, most likely result in a successful career.

It’s challenging and rather useless, to ask a child to show more of an interest in something if they just don’t want to. They need to discover the importance of the term ‘knowledge is power’ and can do so without the need to nag them.

Here are some fun and simple ways and ideas to help give your child that academic kick up the behind they need.

Share your interests with your child and ask for their opinion

Whatever you’re passionate about or interested in life, ask for their opinion on it. You never quite know what their reaction will be to certain things, so it helps to give it a go.

You already share a connection with them, because it’s your child. Allow them to have opinions without passing your own judgment because that’ll give them the confidence to believe in their own opinion, and hopefully find something useful to follow.

Ask them what they enjoy

Sharing your hobbies with them is a good idea, but the chances are a child won’t be that into what you find interesting. But if you like watching sports, or reality TV, chances are they’d see that as a nice way to bond with you.

Encourage them to find their own hobbies, and ask what they enjoy watching, reading, and doing. Once you’ve found their interests, build on them. If they like watching Rugby or Football with you, ask if they want a kickabout in the garden. Encourage them to join a team, make new friends, and build upon their interests.

I believe the happier they are, the more productive they’ll be in the different aspects of their life.

Show them the wonderful world of books

If you’re an avid book reader, explain to them the adventure your mind goes on when you get deep into an interesting book. As I mentioned earlier on – kids today are techno-savvy – advanced machines. Teach them the value and importance of a good book because it’ll improve their imagination, as well as their spelling and grammar.

Get creative when teaching

School can often feel like a prison. Sitting in the same seat, in the same classroom for five hours a day can drive anyone to boredom after a while.

Children get frustrated, and this impacts their desire to pay attention and learn. Some areas around the UK have introduced bespoke Eco-Classrooms for schools. You can read about this new and exciting method for yourself, but to put it simply – an Eco-classroom mixes things up a bit and keeps learning fun and exciting.

So there are some quick-fire tips on how to generate a passion for learning inside the mind of a child. It’s not easy, but the way to approach is to think like them to a certain extent. If you were a child, what would make you find learning exciting?