Balancing Passion and Academic Performance
Balancing Passion and Academic Performance
This article is a translation of an original text by our partner
Succès Scolaire
Your child has been talking to you constantly about space and the stars since last winter. It’s clearly not a passing interest; you’ve got an enthusiast in the making on your hands. However, their interest in, and appetite for, astronomy, leave little room for schoolwork. What do you do when a passion is all-consuming?
The Importance of Having a Passion
We all know that passions are important because they fill the lives of those who have them. Having a passion means being committed to something with all your heart. It means devoting all your energy to something that means a lot to you. It means wanting to read everything that exists on a given topic.
Because they have great value, passions are worth developing and encouraging. Who knows where your passion may lead you? Someone who loves violin may become a brilliant soloist, while a World War ll buff may one day be a renowned historian.
Also, it’s worth mentioning that there are no good or bad passions (video games come to mind), but rather different ways of perceiving them. Rather than judging the value of different passions, it’s important to make sure that they don’t take up all your child’s time at the expense of their homework and other responsibilities.
A Passion that Negatively Impacts Schoolwork?
Passions are important, even vital for some, but they don’t make the week’s schoolwork go away. In some cases, a passion may become all-consuming. Astronomy when getting home from school, astronomy before and after dinner—whoa!
In such situations, you have two roles to play. You need to encourage your child’s passion, guide them in their reading by choosing the titles that seem to be the best, and sign them up for group activities so they can share their interest with others. However, your child needs to understand that their passion has to be part of their leisure-time activities.
Despite all that’s said about the pleasure of learning in a school environment, it’s still normal for students to consider time spent doing homework and school assignments difficult or off-putting. Like it or not, not everything will be as thrilling as the passion that inspires them. That’s something your child needs to understand early on. It’s a lesson that’s especially hard to swallow for someone with a passion. Between the motivation they feel for a school subject and the one they feel for a passion, the gap can be very wide.
And What If Motivation Is Lacking?
If the time for homework and assignments becomes too painful, it might be a good idea to let your child’s passion inspire you to create a reward for work well done and completed. Their passion then becomes the driver of their motivation and, potentially, of their success!
In any event, you shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that a passion needs to be nurtured because it makes your child happy and allows them to develop their knowledge and skills. It motivates them!
It’s your job to find a balance so that homework and assignments aren’t overtaken by this passion!
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