How to Help If Your Child Has “Lazy Child Syndrome”

Does your child show little or no interest in work, be it house chores, academics, or social? Does your child show nonchalant signs of things around them? Or do you get annoying replies that depict laziness when you put them to tasks? If ‘YES’, then it may be lazy child syndrome. When it comes to the issue of children, what works for parent A might not work for parent B. Mostly your contribution as a parent can either positively or negatively affect the attitude of your child to work.

The major solution to laziness is motivation. If laziness occurs as a result of lack of motivation, some other underlying factors might be involved. These could be anxiety, discouragement, or frustration. There are times we as parents feel we are motivating our children, but have you ever thought that you might be doing the wrong way?

Perhaps there are better ways that can make your lazy child develop a positive attitude towards work; learn to take responsibility and ultimately become a great achiever in his or her life endeavor. Motivation propels children and even adults to work. Therefore, your desire should be on how best to motivate your lazy child. 

Explained below are 5 tips that will help in curbing lazy child syndrome.

1.   Easiness Breeds Entitlement

There is a quote that says “Life is not a bed of roses.” This is true to some reasonable degree. Making things too easy for your child does not make them value things, rather it creates a sense of entitlement in them. You might be thinking, “They are kids, they should have things handed to them.” You doing things might get your kids angry at first, but in the end, he/she will learn to value things.

This can be achieved by giving rewards for the things done without the need to compel. Make a list of the activities of items that can be used as a reward, so it’s easy to tie them to specific tasks. Try it out by giving daily responsibilities and telling your child what he or she stands to benefit from. For example, tell your child she could earn money for her favorite chocolate, see a movie or enjoy additional hours of screen time.

2.   Lead by Example

Even when we do not tell them, kids copy and tend to imitate your actions whether it is good or bad. Children learn from what they see. Therefore, if you want your child to take responsibility for her homework or household duties, let her see you do it. Live by example.

No matter how busy you are, let your child see a role model in you and be consistent at it. She will simply follow suit. You can’t sit on the sofa eating snacks and watching your favorite soap opera when there are many house chores yet undone and expect your child to get things done on time.

3.   Reduce Doing too Much for Your Child

Doing too much for your child robs him or her of the skills and practice important to develop mastery in life. He or she will get used to people getting things done for him or her, and this feeds the lazy child syndrome, rather than dealing with it.

An example of this is when you complete your child’s homework instead of only providing guidance for it to be done by him or her. Doing more for your children makes them do less for themselves, and this makes them more dependent.

Learn to listen to your child when he or she needs help; let him or her do it while you guide or provide assistance. Fight the urge to always want to help them fix their problems every time. Improve their capabilities by gradually introducing new activities and watching your child do them.

4.   Give Age-appropriate Tasks

Give age-appropriate tasks according to the age of your child. Explain duties in terms they can easily understand and do not assume they would know everything. Let them see you do the task so they can have a better understanding. The effort you put into teaching your child will definitely yield benefits at the end, not just in performing house chores but in other aspects of life.

5.   Give Positive Reinforcements

Learn to encourage and praise your child when he or she does well, as this will prompt him or her to always want to do more. Appreciate every little effort contributed to getting work completed; this will excite and increase his or her appetite for more responsibility.

Every child has what motivates him or her; discover it, and use it as a great tool to ignite responsibility.