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Transcript

I've tried several different times, several different ways to get the kids to make goals and accomplish those goals, with rewards, and stickers, and all sorts of different things. And it just never worked out for the long term. So when I had this prayer in my heart of "What can I do?" and I asked--that's the whole thing is President Nelson has asked us to seek personal revelation--I just got that prompting and literally the vision board in my head: This will work. So I would say, you know, have that prayer in your heart, search and look, and then take it to the Lord and see what personal revelation comes to you and your family, because there's a way for everyone to do this program. It will look a little bit different for everyone, and that's OK because we're all just trying to make our way back to Christ. I think the more that you allow them that power in their lives to be the motivation, so much of it comes from inside of them. It's that switch of thinking that we have to be the ones that are motivating, we are the ones that are rewarding, or we are the ones that do that as parents, and realizing that this is something bigger than us and that, in so many ways, the things that the kids develop, and learn, and grow into is the reward in itself, that they feel that and then that becomes the driving force behind why they're setting goals is because they feel the Holy Ghost with them, and they feel their Savior near them. They have to discover that on their own. It can't be something that you force or even try to convince them of. You just have to help them, and support them, and encourage them to set goals and to push themself because otherwise, they're not going to get the experience, the relationship with our Heavenly Father. They're not going to have all of that, if you try to push them. It has to come in their own time. We have to be self-directed in our lives. You know, the scripture says we need to act and not be acted upon. So this new initiative is teaching kids how to act for themselves and proactively move towards what's important to them and what's important to Heavenly Father. And so this is what we're trying to help our kids do is become more self-directed, more connected to Him, so that they're making the right kinds of decisions for their lives.

Ideas for Parents on Motivating Children and Youth

Description
Parents from around the world share how they motivate their youth in the Children and Youth program by praying for heaven’s counsel, then helping their youth learn to motivate themselves.
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