Help your child find joy in effort
Sometimes effort and hard work gets a bad reputation. We are prone to thinking that if we have to work hard at a particular task or activity, we're not 'good' at the activity. We assume that effortless mastery is the ideal situation. However, mastery of whatever we...
Create a Learning Environment at Home
Today’s tip for building intrinsic motivation with your kids is to create a learning environment at home. What does a learning environment look like? This is a space where play and learning intersect. Make sure that your kids have access to items which stimulate...
Activities Should be ‘Liked’ and ‘High Effort’
Today’s tip for building intrinsic motivation is to take some time to evaluate which activities in your kid’s life hold two key values. That is, these activities should be both ‘liked’ by our children and ‘high effort’. These activities increase our child’s interest,...
Take Advantage of the Sawyer Effect
Look at all the things happening in your child’s day. How might you shift your child’s perspective to seeing these activities as a more enjoyable experience to build their Intrinsic Motivation? Find out more in today’s tip with Dr. Jen!
Welcome to Intrinsic Motivation Month at the Umbrella Project!
Welcome to Spring, April and Intrinsic Motivation at the Umbrella Project. Intrinsic motivation is motivation that comes from inside you instead of from external rewards like money or grades. It’s the pleasure you get from doing something because it is interesting,...
Let’s Get Started with Intrinsic Motivation! Today’s Tip – Set Informational Limits
This month at the Umbrella Project, we are focusing our energy on Intrinsic Motivation. Intrinsic Motivation is motivation that comes from inside you instead of from external rewards like money or grades. It’s the pleasure you get from doing something because it is...
Parenting Styles and Autonomy
Today as we explore autonomy, Dr. Jen shares a few insights into the environment that you’re creating with your parenting style. Most of us tend to parent somewhere between autonomy-supportive and a more controlled environment. How does your child feel disclosing...
Watch Out for Perceived Unfairness
When we look at the data from the classroom, we see that students who perceive a teacher as unfair are more likely to have aggressive bullying-type behaviours. A child who perceives an unfair situation does not feel in control. They will go out looking for control...
Learn Your Own Brain
Download a PDF of this infographic by clicking HERE. This week, teach your children to learn about their own brains and what makes them function at their best. For some, it might be more quiet through the day. For others, they need to move their bodies more to stay...
Feeling out of control? Take a few small actions
One big source of stress in our kid’s lives is when they feel like they don’t have control over what happens. For example, in a fight with a friend or a tough subject at school, part of what is distressing about those situations is a feeling of lacking control. One...