Motivating your kids is a challenge. When they are really young, it is not as difficult as when you reach preteen and teen years. You, as a parent, you and your partner have to properly and realistically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your child, honestly evaluate those. And you have got to look at the areas where they shine and you have to pat them on the back when they deserve a pat on the back for where they shine. But it is their areas of weakness which are their real challenges. And when they are in school, in taking a science class, and they are not really great in science. If they had an F and it was improved to a D, as hard as it may be as a mom and dad, you have to acknowledge their improvement in that subject. It is an area of weakness. And it is not yours. It is theirs. Be fair and honest in your evaluation of what they do and what their performance is, and it will be much easier to motivate them because they will know that you don´t have unrealistic expectations of them, that you reasonably and rationally see what challenges they are facing and are being fair in dealing with them. All they want is fairness.