How to motivate my JC son

[MayC]

My son is in JC1 in a mid tier JC. He was doing ok up to O level scoring gross score of 11, though not exactly a very hardworking student.


From JC1, I find that he was working very late ( up to 2 to 3 am). On speaking to him, he admitted that while workload has increased, he is taking a long time to do his work as he is not motivated. Recently, it seems like he is starting to have a backlog and not handing up his work on time. This in turn leads to stress every morning when he needs to go to school.

We are very worried and has tried talking to him several time. He admitted that he knows it’s impt to work hard, but somehow just can’t motivate himself to work hard. We are really worried as he is moody all the time…

[cherrygal]

Totally understand him… This is school fatigue esp after O levels… Too many distractions in JC too… new friends, pretty girls etc.


I would say, get him a tutor for his JC subjects, or change to an easier course. If he is biting off more than he can chew ie doing triple science and further maths when he is not exactly gunning to be a doctor or engineer, he will not find the passion to do these subjects.

I regret doing a double science double maths course instead of a simple Arts course (where you can score easier) and become a lawyer like my friend who didn’t do as well as me at the O levels. She is earning more than me now!

Please do some career coaching for your son and if necessary, speak to his principal if he wants to change course.

[MayC]

I have been chatting with parents, and teachers and apparently this lack of sleep is rather common amongst our JC / IB students.

Thanks all for your advice. Will try to keep a close eye on him ( if possible as it is not so easy at this age).

[joyceharper]

MayC:

My son is in JC1 in a mid tier JC. He was doing ok up to O level scoring gross score of 11, though not exactly a very hardworking student.


From JC1, I find that he was working very late ( up to 2 to 3 am). On speaking to him, he admitted that while workload has increased, he is taking a long time to do his work as he is not motivated. Recently, it seems like he is starting to have a backlog and not handing up his work on time. This in turn leads to stress every morning when he needs to go to school.

We are very worried and has tried talking to him several time. He admitted that he knows it's impt to work hard, but somehow just can't motivate himself to work hard. We are really worried as he is moody all the time.....

Hi, I was just reading the forums and came upon your post and I don't really know the details of your situation but sometimes I find that talking to a teenager can be perceived as nagging. A good peer group and a positive influence / inspiration is actually quite important in this stage of a child's life.

I have nieces and nephews that are teenagers and when I compare the parenting styles used on them, I find that the best mix is the balance between being encouraging of the teen to go out and explore but guiding them to make wise and right decisions. I personally find that keeping a teen cooped up often backfires, they just end up channel-surfing (or youtube surfing) or lazing around.

Does your son have anything he actually enjoys doing that he is willing to work hard at? Maybe you can use that as a positive reinforcement?

I remember a friend telling me of how they got over this stage of their daughter's life. Let me try to find out more and get back to you.

[kiasu_mum75]

jc is very tough. jc 1 there is project work which is a huge burden on them… if he’s taking new subjects in JC such as GP, Economics, etc, it might cause him more headache. give him help if he needs. don’t nag at him… CCAs might be another headache? does he have friends in school? studying till 2-3 am in the morning is quite common because they have a lot of homework and tests… and they need to catch up… some JC teachers don’t teach properly…they just merely throw the notes at the studetns to read up on their own…and because lessons are lecture styled, your son might not be used to the JC lecture style of lessons… so he might not understand the lesson at all…so it makes it difficult for him to do his homework /assignments… ask him where he needs the help…if he needs den look for a tutor for him…

[Quintessential Mum]

kiasu_mum75:

jc is very tough. jc 1 there is project work which is a huge burden on them... if he's taking new subjects in JC such as GP, Economics, etc, it might cause him more headache. give him help if he needs. don't nag at him... CCAs might be another headache? does he have friends in school? studying till 2-3 am in the morning is quite common because they have a lot of homework and tests... and they need to catch up... some JC teachers don't teach properly...they just merely throw the notes at the studetns to read up on their own....and because lessons are lecture styled, your son might not be used to the JC lecture style of lessons... so he might not understand the lesson at all...so it makes it difficult for him to do his homework /assignments... ask him where he needs the help..if he needs den look for a tutor for him....

I disagree, as i think that JC is manageable as long as your child learns to prioritize his school work and CCA commitments. This is a life skill that he/she will need in future. Don't be too quick to jump on the tuition bandwagon for a hopefully quick fix as not all tutors are equal and have the child's best interest at heart. If the child pays attention during lectures and consults his/her tutors during tutorial and after tutorial, there is no need to burn the midnight oil till 3am. Also, at JC level, it would be safe to assume that the child should be quite independent and he/she are suppose to read up on their own instead of being spoon fed.

[kiasu_mum75]

i know what u mean... but speak to the child first to see what problems/issues he is facing first...and then see how u can help him...

[joyceharper]

just checking back on this thread - i hope things are better

didn't really see much updates since the last time.

[lobo]

hi, i’m helping my neighbours to ask on their behalf. they are concerned parents who are at their wits’ end as to how to motivate their child who’s sitting A lvls in <2mths time. child seems to spend time mostly playing computer games rather than studying.

[lobo]

No response? Too sensitive an issue to comment?