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BUILDINg pAssION
fOR AChIEvEmENT
A
lack of motivation
can turn even bright
children from privileged
backgrounds into
underachievers. Research
has shown that parents are a critical
factor in contributing to a child’s
achievement. Parents who can
provide financial stability are not
necessarily successful in raising
their children to be high achievers.
Children can end up being spoiled
and lacking in character.
To instill passion for achievement in
children, start by nurturing your child’s
interests. Provide opportunities for them
to learn and explore their interests. For
example, if your children love robots, get
them to read books or see movies about
robots. Encourage them to create their
own robots using Lego. For a very special
occasion when they achieve good grades
at school, reward them by taking them for
a summer holiday abroad to attend the
annual Robot World Cup (RoboCup) event,
where participants come from all over the
world --- anything, to keep them intrigued.
You can also motivate your children by
showing them that there’s a connection
between the work that they are being
asked to do and their goals and interests. A
child who wants to be a veterinarian should
know that math and science are important
in the job.
Sometimes, children may lack
motivation because they have not been
exposed to what might be a life passion.
Children who have an interest in music,
but have never had the chance to explore
it, will not be able to unlock that passion.
That’s why parents should encourage
their children to engage in various extra
curricular activities. These can include
participation in competitions suited to
the children’s interests, as competitions
increase their understanding of their own
abilities and limitations. They will learn
to set goals, handle loss as well as
develop skills.
Various competitions for children are
held every year in Jakarta; by schools,
companies and foundations as well as
communities. Java St. Andrew Society, a
non-profit organization catering to the
needs of people of Scottish heritage
living in Jakarta, holds the Jakarta Schools
Photography Competition annually, which
has attracted hundreds of entries from
participants from various schools. Winning
photos are exhibited in a public
space such as a gallery and are
even published in a magazine,
in this case our magazine, Now!
Jakarta.
Yayasan Akar Wangi, an
independent not-for-profit
foundation which strives to
preserve Javanese heritage, also
holds an annual batik design
competition for children. The
competition held for the first time
last month, earned exceptional
feedback. The foundation
received over 900 contemporary
designs from participants from all over
Indonesia with the youngest participant
only seven years old. The nine winners
who are children of 12 years and below,
proved that children can have remarkable
achievements if they are given the
opportunity and encouraged.
The options for sports competitions
are even bigger. Your child can join the
Coca-Cola Schools Football League, Asian
Australian Football Championships, U-15
National Championship for cricket to
junior golf tournaments. The bottom line
is, whatever your child’s interest is, make
sure you support and encourage them to
develop their potential. And don’t forget
to praise them once in a while, because
children are just like us. Sometimes
recognition is the strongest motivation
for achievement.
BY: FRANSISCA RESTIAWARDANI. PHOTOS: AKARWANGI, NOW! JAKARTA.
JIS ACADEMY
Summer Program 2011
th th
For more information on our wide range
of Summer Programs, please contact:
Diana or Cicilya
Phone: (021) 769 2555 ext. 20110 or
Email: jisacademy@jisedu.or.id
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