Discipline, concentration and hard work are often seen as essential to doing great things. But how can we motivate kids to do great things when taking the risk to work hard often means coming face-to-face with feelings of discouragement, frustration and low self-esteem?

Cue diligence

Diligence is defined as a quality of performing a certain task with efficiency, and with heart. It means doing hard things with an attitude of goodwill, and can stimulate a feeling of being trusted and responsible. It emphasizes the quality of taking care. Doing things with love, care and precision often leads to a very special kind of personal satisfaction that is the reward for diligence.

Success and failure

The difference between a champion and someone who fails is not the medals or awards, but that they tried in the first place. When we observe successful people, they often say how at some point in their lives that they gave their all – training, or improving some talent, and then followed it up with practice – to get to where they are now.

It’s always good to teach children, in both our words and through example, that failing is normal, and what often feels like a “failure” is a step towards something more profound. It’s good to remind children, as well as ourselves, that the most successful people are those who do not stop at the first or second failure, but have the resilience to pick themselves back up, and keep working hard for their desire.

Positive habits

Habits and discipline go hand-in-hand. A habit is an activity that we carry out in such a repetitive way that we later do it automatically (for example: brushing teeth when getting up, jogging for an hour in the morning or praying before eating). Encouraging positive habits in our children creates healthy patterns of behaviour.

Eventually, children who manage to create positive habits will be able to use the sense of discipline for themselves (For example they might think: “I am not motivated to do this, but I know that doing it will help me in other ways”).

Here are some suggestions for encouraging diligence in children:

Help kids understand social rules, benefits and outcomes

In order to be diligent, children need to understand that we have rules in society, which help us all live together. As parents, helping our children to behave in healthy, co-operative ways can likewise help them to understand that human responsibilities walk beside human rights, in making the world a better place for all of us.

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Help kids to plan out tasks

Encourage children to learn to organise themselves, their time and their belongings, and show them tools to help them plan how they can achieve those things which mean something to them.

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Measure and evaluate performance

Help children to get used to reflecting on how well an activity has gone, and to define what else needs to be done to improve, through measuring and evaluating what they have done, and encouraging them to try to do so in a spirit of objectivity.

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Make use of their enthusiasm

Children can sometimes find it hard to carry out a task when there is no immediate enjoyment or benefit, so invite them to carry out activities they are passionate about. This can be done through open and caring conversations which help them to understand, and harness, their passions.

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Help kids avoid procrastination

Remind them of the saying “do not leave for tomorrow what you can do today”, remembering that they also need plenty of time to rest.

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Practice punctuality from an early age

Children go where their parents take them. Strive to be punctual and give them strategies so that they can also practice it, since respecting one’s own time, as well as the time of others, can help a child on the way to achieving their personal goals.

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Value a wide range of skills

Enjoy trying these suggestions at home, and remember that it is in combination with other skills (such as patience, creativity and kindness), that diligence will help your child become successful in whatever they set out to achieve.

Some Free Books About Diligence at Storyberries

Jimmy the Cat and Gardening

A lovely story about Jimmy and his passion to grow a new garden, with valuable lessons about diligence, patience and friendship.

Catch A Moon

An endearing story about Anna and her brother Will. They dream of catching the moon. In the story they learn that by combining their creative imaginations with diligent effort, they can find a wonderful way to fly.

Seven Days: A Walk to Mount Fuji

A little mouse sets out on a very long walk to Mount Fuji and discovers many marvels along the way, including the rewards of being diligent.

Article by Luzmery M. Romero Gamboa and Fleur Rodgers

Luzmery works in the area of clinical psychology as a psychotherapist for children, adolescents and families. Since 2016, she has run a Psychological Center in Venezuela called Psicoluz. She offers workshop facilitations to parents, is involved in recreational activities for children, and has been working as a freelancer since 2017 performing online psychotherapy. 

Fleur is a meditation teacher in France and uses a compassion and loving-kindness based approach to meditation and slow-minded living. Fleur posts regularly to Instagram @rodgers.fleur . She has two children, is a qualified teacher in adult education and is the founder of Timeouttobreathe.com 

The post Motivation for Kids: Teaching Children Diligence, Passion and Resilience first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

© Storyberries /Phoebe Coghlan 2021

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Let’s Chat About the Poem – Ideas for Talking With Kids

Trying, Diligence, Imagination

1. Have you ever wanted to do something that you thought was impossible? How did you try to do it?

2. Did you use your imagination, in trying to do that impossible thing? If so, how did imagination help you?

3. If you didn’t use imagination in trying to achieve your special task, how about you use it now? What are some ways that you could have achieved this thing you really wanted, which seemed impossible, by using your imagination?

Poem for Kids written by Phoebe Coghlan

Illustrated by Tanya Razumna

Music Video – “Frost Waltz” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

About the Writer

Phoebe is an Intensive care nurse working in a central London, Major Trauma hospital. After busy twelve hour shifts, she likes to sit down with a cup of tea and write whatever comes into her head. You can see all her wonderful stories and poems at Storyberries by clicking here.

The post Catch A Moon first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

Let’s Chat About The Stories ~ Ideas for Talking With Kids

Resilience, Diligence, Independence, Feelings

1. Nin asks for help but everyone is too busy. Then she tries to do it herself. Do you think it was a good thing to try to dress herself? Why or why not?

2. How do you think Nin feels after trying to dress herself?

Bedtime story written by Bounhome Khensonema, translated by Alisha Berger

Illustrated by Aphisith Souphavongtay

OTHER CREDITS:

Music Video by Monkeys Spinning Monkeys Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

This story: Nin Wants to Get Dressed is translated by Alisha Berger . The © for this translation lies with Room to Read, 2016. Some rights reserved. Released under CC BY 4.0 license. Based on Original story: ‘ນິນຮຽນນຸ່ງເຄື່ອງ‘, by Bounhome Khensonema . © Room to Read , 2016. Some rights reserved. Released under CC BY 4.0 license.

* THE STORY ‘NIN WANTS TO GET DRESSED’ WAS CREATED BY PRATHAM BOOKS AND IS LICENSED UNDER A CREATIVE COMMONS -BY-4.0 LICENSE. MINOR FORMATTING CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE ORIGINAL WORK FOR EASE OF READING ON OUR WEBSITE.

Nin Wants to Get Dressed | Free Kids Books | Bedtime Stories

Nin needs to get dressed for school. But everyone is too busy to help her!

URL: https://www.storyberries.com/bedtime-stories-nin-wants-to-get-dressed-free-kids-books-online/

Author: Storyweaver

Editor's Rating:
5

The post Nin Wants to Get Dressed first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

© Storyberries 2021

Short story for kids written and illustrated by Katty Melnichenko

Music Video by Maple Leaf Rag Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Let’s Chat About The Stories ~ Ideas for Talking With Kids

Friendship, Helping

1. How do each of these friends help each other to make the garden grow?

2. What do you think this might say about friendship?

Diligence

1. You have to work a long time before a garden begins to grow. What do you think would happen if Jimmy and his friends didn’t work hard in their garden? Do you think they would have been able to eat the broccoli? Why or why not?

Jimmy the Cat and Gardening | Free Kids Books | Bedtime Stories

Jimmy the Cat wants to make a garden with his friends. What should he plant?

URL: https://www.storyberries.com/bedtime-stories-jimmy-the-cat-and-gardening-free-kids-books/

Author: Storyweaver

Editor's Rating:
4

The post Jimmy the Cat and Gardening first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

Visit Storyberries Bookstore

LET’S DISCUSS THE STORIES ~ IDEAS FOR TALKING WITH KIDS

Diligence

1. In this story, how do the little boy and his Dad make the garden grow ?

2. What do you think this story might tell us about the importance of caring for things?

Bedtime Story written by Bridget Krone

Illustrated by Megan Lötter

Designed by Sarah Slater

Edited by Glynis Lloyd

* THE STORY ‘MY LITTLE GARDEN!’ WAS CREATED BY BOOK DASH AND IS LICENSED UNDER A CREATIVE COMMONS ATTRIBUTION 4.0 LICENSE. FORMATTING CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE ORIGINAL WORK FOR EASE OF READING ON OUR WEBSITE.

The post My Little Garden first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

It was a beautiful sunny day when Martin went out into his backyard. It would have been a perfect day to play. But Martin wasn’t out there to play. At least, not that kind of play.

His mother had sent him out there so that he could practice his flute. When she had bought him the flute (which was very expensive, as she told Martin as often as possible) he had promised to practice at least thirty minutes every day. But it can be difficult to concentrate on something as unexciting as a flute when your room is full of cool stuff like a TV, video games and the internet.

So it was that Martin’s mother sent him to the backyard to practice, where there would be no distractions.

Or, so she thought.

Martin sat down on the grass and brought the flute to his lips. He began practicing his fingering exercises with his eyes closed. You have to close your eyes, you know, when you want to concentrate on stuff. Anyway, he played for a good forty or fifty seconds before he heard a familiar sound:

The panting of his dog, Larry.

“Sorry, Larry,” said Martin. “I can’t play right now. I have to practice my flute.”

Larry was, understandably, disappointed, but he understood the importance of practicing when you are learning a musical instrument, so he went away and found something else to do.

Martin resumed his fingering exercises but was soon interrupted again.

“Hey, Martin!”

He looked in the direction of the voice and saw the top half of the face of his friend/next door neighbor, Kris, peering at him from over the top of the fence which separated their respective yards.

“I just got the new Action Dash movie!” she said. “Want to come over and check it out?”

Well, that’s exactly what Martin wanted to do, cuz he loved the Action Dash movies. But, he shook his head and said, “Sorry, Kris. I can’t watch a movie right now. I have to practice my flute.”

Kris, like Larry, seemed disappointed that Martin had said no. But she also understood that you have to practice a lot when you are learning a musical instrument. So, she went into her house and watched Action Dash 4: Legal Action all by herself.

Again, Martin was alone with his flute. He closed his eyes and resumed his fingering exercises. He must have gotten in a good five minutes before he felt it. The ground was beginning to move. An earthquake, he thought? Then he looked to his left and saw the ground next to him begin to bulge. As if something was pushing up from under the ground. The next thing he knew, the tip of a shovel had broken through the ground.

Someone had tunneled into his yard!

This someone turned out to be a Grizzled Old Prospector.

“Dagnab it!” said the Grizzled Old Prospector. “I thought for sure I’d find gold here.”

“You’re digging for gold?” Martin asked.

“Sure am, Sonny! Hey, want to come with me? We can split any gold we find fifty-fifty.”

That did sound like fun, but Martin just said, “Sorry, Grizzled Old Prospector I can’t dig for gold right now. I have to practice my flute.”

“That’s too bad. But I understand. After all, I had to practice a lot when I was learning the banjo. Good luck, Kid!” With that the Grizzled Old Prospector disappeared into the hole he had dug.

Martin only had a few more minutes of practicing before he was interrupted again. Like the last time, he felt the ground move under his butt, but this time it didn’t feel like an earthquake.

WHAM!

WHAM!

WHAM!

From far away, Martin heard the loud “Whams” getting closer and closer. Finally, he saw what was causing them:

A kangaroo jumped over the neighbors’ fence and into his yard.

“G’day, mate!” said the Kangaroo (kangaroos come from Australia, you know).

“What are you doing?” asked Martin.

“Me? Why I’m trying to set the world record for Most Backyards Jumped In A Row. Your backyard is the forty-seventh I’ve jumped into. I’ve almost broken the record. Want to climb on my back and come with me the rest of the way? There’s gonna be a big party when I finish. With cake and ice cream and pizza with meatballs and olives!”

Martin wanted to go with the Kangaroo. He wanted to ride on his back and bounce through the air. He wanted cake and ice cream. And pizza with meatballs and olives was his absolute favorite food in the entire world.

“Sorry, Kangaroo,” said Martin, rather sadly. “I can’t come with you right now. I have to practice my flute.”

“Okay. So long, mate!” And the Kangaroo bounced away, because he understood that you have to practice a lot when you’re learning a musical instrument.

Martin went back to his flute, trying hard to think about the proper placement of his thumbs and pinkies, and not about playing with his dog or watching a movie with his friend or digging for gold or riding on a kangaroos back. He tried to concentrate on the little holes in the flute and not on all the fun he was missing out on.

In fact, he was concentrating so hard, he almost didn’t hear the spaceship landing a few feet away from him.

“Greetings, Earth Child!” said the Space Aliens as they got out of the spaceship. “We’re looking for new recruits to join our team of adventurers. Want to come through space with us?”

Before Martin could answer, a brilliant pink light appeared right next to the spaceship and a wizard materialized out of thin air.

“Good morrow, mortal child!” said the Wizard. “I seek a sorcerer’s apprentice to come with me on my travels and learn how to perform magic. Would you care to go on a quest through an enchanted realm?”

Before Martin could answer, there was a strange noise and a big blue box appeared out of nowhere. A strange lady in a long coat popped her head out and said, “Hi there! Anyone here want to come with me in my time machine? I know it looks a bit small but, trust me, it’s bigger—”

“NO!!!”

Martin was very upset. He was missing out on so much cool stuff. He wanted to play with his dog or watch a movie with his friend or dig for gold with the Grizzled Old Prospector or bounce around with the Kangaroo or go to space with the Aliens or go on a quest with the Wizard or travel through time with the Strange Lady…

But he couldn’t.

“I can’t go with any of you right now! I have to practice my flute!!”

“Martin!”

It was his mother’s voice. He opened his eyes (they had been clenched shut while he was yelling) and saw her standing at the back door looking at him.

“What is going on out here?” she asked.

Martin looked around the yard. No big blue box. No Wizard. No spaceship. No foot prints where the Kangaroo had landed. No hole where the Grizzled Old Prospector had appeared. It was as if none of it ever happened.

“Um…nothing?” he said. “I’m just…practicing…my flute.”

“Oh. Well, good. Anyway, it’s been thirty minutes so you can stop for the day if you want.”

So, Martin and Larry went next door to watch Action Dash with Kris.

Bedtime story for kids written by Templeton Moss

Let’s Chat About The Stories ~ Ideas for Talking With Kids

Diligence

1. In this story, a lot of things happened in Martin’s backyard while he was trying to practice his flute. What do you think would have happened if he had gone and had adventures with the people who popped up in his yard?

2. Why do you think it can be important to stick with things?

The post Martin’s Flute first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

I’ve crossed my fingers, I’ve wished on stars. And for extra safe measures, I’ve wished on Mars.

I’ve avoided all ladders and black cats as well. Even went to a witch for a fifty cent spell.

Now I’m armed and I’m ready to do my best. Next time I’ll just study for my history test.

Copyright Arden Davidson, 2019

POEM FOR KIDS WRITTEN BY ARDEN DAVIDSON

Illustration by Kseniya Shagieva

LET’S CHAT ABOUT THE POEM ~ IDEAS FOR TALKING WITH KIDS

Diligence

1. The kid in this poem has gone to a lot of effort to pass their history test! Do you think they’ve put their energy into the right things to get a good mark? Why or why not?

WOULD YOU LIKE TO READ MORE POEMS FROM THE SAME AUTHOR?

What’s Weird About A Mirror: 101 Curious Poems

written by Arden Davidson and published by Storyberries.

It’s a long-awaited, hilarious collection of children’s poems by poet Arden Davidson, and includes topics ranging from a snoring grandma to a six-footed camel to reflections on the weirdness of mirrors.

The post The Hard Way first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

Learn about Phonics

Bedtime story & haiku poem for kids written by Jade Maitre

Illustrated by Roxana Calman

Let’s Chat About The Stories ~ Ideas for Talking With Kids

Diligence, Courage

1. The little mouse in this story poem walks for seven long days to reach the top of Mount Fuji. Do you think that when things are hard to do, it means we shouldn’t do them? Why or why not?

2. The little mouse achieves its goal in reaching the top of the mountain. What other things does it achieve along the way?

LEARN MORE ABOUT PHONICS

Easily integrate phonics gesture into the stories your children love. Make reading multi-sensory, and turn your little one into an investigator of sounds. Learn how this can help you children read better and faster at Phonics in Motion. Use the Promo Code STORYBERRIES20 to benefit from a 20% discount on any learning programs. 

The post Seven Days: A Walk To Mount Fuji first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

SHORT STORY FOR KIDS WRITTEN BY GREYSTROKE

ILLUSTRATED BY P.G. DINESH

OTHER CREDITS: This book was originally published on Storyweaver by Pratham Books. Pratham Books is a Not-for-Profit organisation that publishes books in multiple Indian languages to promote reading among children. See www.pratham-books.org

* THE STORY ‘THE MAGIC POWDER – A FOLK TALE FROM MYANMAR’ WAS CREATED BY PRATHAM BOOKS AND IS LICENSED UNDER A CREATIVE COMMONS -BY-4.0 LICENSE. MINOR FORMATTING CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE ORIGINAL WORK FOR EASE OF READING ON OUR WEBSITE.

Let’s Chat About The Stories ~ Ideas for Talking With Kids

Independent Thinking, Creativity

1. Theingi’s father-in-law knew that Theingi had his heart set on being an alchemist, and so did not try and work against him. Instead he found a way for Theingi’s passion to continue, as well as for him to find the gold he sought. Why do you think this approach worked so well with Theingi?

Diligence

1. This story shows two ways of finding gold: magic, and working hard. Which do you think is the best approach to take? Why?

The post The Magic Powder – A Folk Tale From Myanmar first appeared on Bedtime Stories.