When your child says they don't know why they're learning something, that's useful information. This episode explains why near-term relevance matters more than future payoff for adolescents, why telling kids to try harder without addressing meaning doesn't work, and how parents can build part of the relevance bridge at home with one question and one connection.

This episode draws in part on research in:

• Adolescent motivation and future time perspective (Lens, Simons)
• Expectancy-value theory in academic contexts (Eccles, Wigfield)
• Utility value and task engagement (Hulleman, Harackiewicz)
• Parental influence on academic motivation (Grolnick, Friendly)