Teenagers are bombarded with a multitude of stressors. They’re trying to pass classes, navigate relationships and decide who they want to become and do in the future. On top of all this, they’re being given more and more responsibility for their own lives. This can be terrifying for kids who are worried they don’t have what it takes to succeed.

One of the best ways to support teenagers is by encouraging them to love learning. Teens who love to learn will be able to grow from every situation. They’re more resilient, compassionate, motivated and successful in life. Here are seven ways to encourage lifelong learning in your teen.

One of the best ways to support teenagers is by encouraging them to love learning. Here are seven ways to encourage lifelong learning in your teen.

Plan to Fail

Many teenagers and adults are afraid of failure. For some reason, they’ve confused their performance with their identity. If they do something wrong, they think it must mean they’re incapable, stupid or worthless. You can help your teenager overcome this fear and turn failure into a strength instead.

It’s almost impossible to do something perfectly the first time, which means failure is necessary for learning. For example, your teenager may be part of a play at school. The first few times they practice their lines, they’re probably not going to remember them all. They have to be willing to fail before they can succeed.

Connect With Interests

You may have noticed that your teenager has no problem learning about their interests. For example, your son may know the name of every tree in the state but be unable to tell you the state capital. Use your teen’s interests to help them build confidence in themselves as self-learners.

The next time your teenager says they can’t learn something, ask them why. Remind them of all the skills they’ve built just because they were interested. Those same skills can be applied to learning subjects they’re less interested in. If your teen doesn’t have a learning hobby, help them to develop one.

Talk About Learning

Conversations are another way you can encourage your teen to love learning. Around the dinner table every night, ask everyone what they learned that day. You can phrase it differently if that doesn’t get a good response – try “what made you excited today” or “what’s something you wish you’d done differently today.”

Learning comes in many different forms. Both teenagers and adults sometimes mistake learning as activities followed by a grade. Although you can learn through school-related activities like reading and studying, building things is another way to learn. You can learn through doing, whether that’s playing a sport, reading a book or baking a pie.

Teach Them Questions

One of the most powerful learning tools your teen can have is the ability to ask good questions. Most of the time, they shouldn’t be looking for a yes or no answer. Instead, they can practice asking who, what, where, when, why and how. These questions are the foundation of every discipline, from theatre to medicine.

Asking questions is equally valuable for learning in school and throughout life. Questions are the basic building blocks of critical thinking and will help your teen evaluate information and situations. Usually, multiple questions are needed to get to a root answer. A strong ability to ask questions makes learning fun and is second nature to most teens.

Support Their Curiosity

Curiosity is fuel for the desire to learn something new. Sometimes, you learn things because you have to. However, that information doesn’t stick for long. By cultivating curiosity in your teen, you can broaden their horizon and bring joy back into learning. Curiosity and wonder are closely connected.

If your teenager seems uninterested all the time, there could be several culprits. Video games, television or information overload could be detaching them from the present and reducing their ability to learn. Allow your teen to be bored and watch their curiosity grow. Provide resources like books, tutors and YouTube to help them learn a new skill.

Get Enough Rest

Many teenagers don’t get enough sleep. If your teen is tired all the time, they won’t be able to focus or really enjoy learning. Emphasize the value of rest and the importance of winding down at the end of the day. You can model this at home by disconnecting from your phones and putting work away. Work with your teen to set a regular sleep schedule.

If your teenager is staying up late and sleeping during the day, they’re going to be isolated. Over time, this can affect their productivity and energy levels. Talk to them about the value of sleeping with the sun and ensure they get the recommended 8-10 hours of sleep a night. If they’re having trouble sleeping, find out why and help them resolve the issue.

Practice Self-Efficacy

Lifelong learning is an expression of self-efficacy. Right now, your teenager is gaining the skills they need to succeed as a full-blown adult. At that point, whatever they don’t do for themselves won’t happen. For example, no one else will buy their food, clean their house, get them out of bed or apply to job interviews for them.

Learning new skills can help teenagers believe in their ability to build a good life. For example, say your teenager decided to learn Japanese and spent three months studying words so he could understand Manga without translations. The next time he faces a challenge, he’ll know that he’s up to the task. Meeting goals feels good and will encourage your teen to keep learning forever.

Every skill your teen needs to succeed in life will come to them through learning.

Click To Tweet

Start the Journey

Every skill your teen needs to succeed in life will come to them through learning. To learn, your teenager needs to fail. They should pursue their interests, discuss new ideas and ask challenging questions. You can help them cultivate their curiosity and get enough rest. Learning is a valuable skill that will equip your teen to enjoy a full and meaningful life.