As P grows older it’s getting increasingly difficult to keep her focused on her studies. TV and social media hog up a lot of her time and now it’s showing in her performance. Not that she did badly but her performance has gone down marginally and she could have fared better if she spent more time on practising. She’s a bright child (touchwood) and her teachers always tell me that most of her studying is happening in class because she gives her full concentration and diligently takes notes. She understands, asks questions and absorbs whatever is being done in class…..which is music to my ears when I go to attend the PTMs.

The problem begins when she comes home. She doesn’t want to put in extra work over and above what is required. Now a days all assignments are submitted last minute and done half heartedly and in a hurry. What do you do in such a situation? I know she can do much better than she is already doing. But she needs that extra effort. It’s not even about marks, it’s about the habit. No matter how much we try to counsel her and talk to her about the benefits of putting in hard work, she doesn’t understand. It seems like she is putting in some effort for a few days and then it’s back to square one.

I am out of my wits end to think about ways to motivate her. I hate policing her and putting restrictions and I hate giving material things as incentive. Those are really not the ways one forms healthy habits. But what are my other options? No amount of explaining and talking have any effect. It all comes down to “chill mom” and “relax”. Yaar kitna chill karoon?