Joanna Fortune: How can I motivate my teenage daughter to study?

"Self-motivation comes easier to some people than it does to others so rather than criticising her lack of self-motivation, look for ways to help her activate that drive within herself."

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My 17-year-old daughter, who is in fifth year, has completely disengaged from the school curriculum. She was always the type of student who did the bare minimum and would Google answers instead of reading the textbook. Also, she does no steady revision and normally starts studying the night before the test. Now she barely does that much and I do not see her even doing her required level of homework. How can I motivate her?

It can be very difficult to feel motivated if our mental health is under stress. I suggest you explore if something specific is happening in her life that may be causing increased distress and contributing to her withdrawal.