How to Protect Your Child's Intrinsic Motivation

How to Protect Your Child's Intrinsic Motivation

Episode 2 | Featuring Dr. Gina Riley

What actually motivates kids to learn, explore, and try new things?

And what happens when we stop trying to motivate them—and start paying attention to what motivates them naturally?

In this conversation, I sit down with Dr. Gina Riley to explore intrinsic motivation, autonomy, and what children really need to thrive.

We talk about Self-Determination Theory and three essential psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness.

We explore how rewards, expectations, and traditional approaches to education can affect motivation—and what it looks like to support children's natural curiosity instead.

Because when kids have opportunities to make choices, develop confidence in their abilities, and feel genuinely connected to the people around them, something important happens.

They begin to discover what drives them from within.

Whether your child seems disengaged from school, resists activities you know they're capable of, or you're simply curious about nurturing a lifelong love of learning, this conversation offers a different way to think about motivation.

Prefer to listen?

🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts — [add Episode 2 link]

🎧 Listen on Spotify — [add Episode 2 link]