The 5C rule to motivate your children when studying 2026

According to a study published by the NGO Save the Children, at least 1 in four children suffers from anxiety due to confinement. Anxiety that adds to the stress and risk of depression included by SOS Children's Villages in their Action Guide to care for the mental health of children. It is clear that the confinement measures adopted by the Government to alleviate the health crisis caused by the coronavirus have had some negative consequences for the minds of children. In addition, the preventive closure of schools has reduced the possibility of socializing with peers, something that has not benefited their mental well-being either.

And, taking into account that motivation is one of the main ingredients for school success, as stated in the study 'School motivation and high school dropout: the mediating role of educational expectation', we find a somewhat bleak outlook.

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For this reason, it is especially important that parents and caregivers have an ace in their hand in the form of guidelines or tips that allow them to motivate their children to study without leaving home. A series of rules that are quite simple to comply with and that can allow academic performance not to be diminished until face-to-face classes return.

According to the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, these rules involve combining school hours with free time. As? Through the routines that the AEP has requested, please do not miss them during the state of alarm. According to Adriana Ornella, a professor at the UOC, it is advisable to prioritize the mornings so that they can connect to study and set aside time daily to exercise or take a walk outside.  In addition, he comments that if we establish a fixed study place, we can encourage their concentration, just as if we set small and specific objectives. And, of course, we should adapt to the child since each child's needs, interests and ways of learning are different and taking this into account can be an advantage when it comes to motivating them.

The 5C rule

The expert talks, in turn, about a very interesting and easy-to-follow rule to promote motivation. It's about the 5C rule: for her, the key to getting them motivated is to promote learning activities that include the following 5Cs: context, creativity, curiosity, control and collaboration. Explained it would be like this:

• The context refers to connecting learning with previous knowledge and experiences. That is, encourage activities that are connected to your daily life and your reality. This way we will also promote better understanding.
• He talks about how these activities have to be creative enough to catch their attention.
• Something the same happens with curiosity: you have to try to awaken their interest.
• By control it means that we must let them influence the pace of their learning.
• It also talks about the importance of promoting collaboration and teamwork.