Intrinsic and attainment were the most commonly reported sources of motivation (22 parents each) followed closely by perfectionism (19 parents), and then extrinsic and personal connection (18 parents each).
Most parents reported that there were only one or two major sources of distraction for their children. Social distraction was the most common (33 parents) followed closely by video games or time-consuming hobbies (32 parents).
The comments from the parents covered a wide range of topics. A concern that was frequently mentioned is that a child did not feel challenged by the school work. This could be an excuse or it can be quite real. It is important to talk to your child’s teacher if this is the case. It is a disservice if students do not need to push themselves to learn the material from school. If your child is identified as gifted, be sure to include his or her teacher of the gifted in your discussions.
Other concerns raised by parents suggest that they would do well to collaborate with a counselor. The links to the Motivation for Accomplishment website for the following topics may be helpful to some parents
based on the issues they raised:
Underachievement
Personal Cost Decisions (for managing distracting habits)
Perfectionism
Let us know how the parent survey responses relate to your own experience. We consider all of the information parents share with us as we update and revise the website.