Let Grow, at letgrow.org, is a great organization focused on helping families let go of certain parenting ideas, and give kids the freedom to "have some adventures, develop more independence, and grow resilient."
A recent blog post tackled the idea of "purpose" in education and in life. People with purpose have internal motivation and internal motivation is a source of success and happiness in life. Internal motivation comes from a few sources:
1. The areas in which a child is naturally skilled - think of the ballerina who loves being en pointe, her joy motivates further dancing.
2. Areas kids find fascinating and engaging - the model train enthusiast who builds layouts and learns circuitry to wire everything for light.
3. Real world problems - problems a child sees, puzzles over and wants to address. After observing dysfunctional government, four girls build a website for kids, to teach about how government works, what the constitution states, and what *exactly* are the rights of children (Adapted from Wehner).
External motivators, like grades and homework, may lead to some academic successes in the short term, but not necessarily in the long run. That, however, is a post of its own.
In the meantime, help your child, your families or your students find some purpose... by letting them get bored and leaving them alone. Read more here.
