<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="1024" height="536" src="https://connectedfamilies.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/ep-291-Mini-with-Katie-W-1024x536.png" alt="How to motivate children" class="wp-image-64204" title="(Updated) How to Motivate Children: What the Research Says | Ep. 291 1" srcset="https://connectedfamilies.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/ep-291-Mini-with-Katie-W-1024x536.png 1024w, https://connectedfamilies.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/ep-291-Mini-with-Katie-W-300x157.png 300w, https://connectedfamilies.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/ep-291-Mini-with-Katie-W-768x402.png 768w, https://connectedfamilies.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/ep-291-Mini-with-Katie-W.png 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure> <p>Every parent knows the feeling: you need the dishes done, the toys picked up, or the laundry folded… and your child is nowhere near motivated to help. What if the key to raising genuinely responsible kids isn&#8217;t about enforcing compliance, but about understanding what actually drives motivation from the inside out? In this mini-episode, host Stacy Bellward chats with Katie Wetsell, pediatric nurse turned Connected Families Certified Parent Coach, to explore the brain science and research behind growing responsibility in children. Learn some practical, grace-filled tools you can start using today!</p> <div class="wp-block-stackable-heading stk-block-heading stk-block-heading--v2 stk-block stk-227c1bc" id="strong-key-takeaways-strong" data-block-id="227c1bc"><h3 class="stk-block-heading__text"><strong>Key Takeaways:</strong></h3></div> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Motivation can be complicated for all of us, because we are human</li> <li>Learn how building kids up in the short term can help with long-term goals of raising capable, responsible adults&nbsp;</li> <li>Learn about the three pillars of self-directed motivation</li> </ul> <div class="wp-block-stackable-heading stk-block-heading stk-block-heading--v2 stk-block stk-461dbd3" id="strong-mentioned-in-this-podcast-nbsp-strong" data-block-id="461dbd3"><h3 class="stk-block-heading__text"><strong>Mentioned in this Podcast:&nbsp;</strong></h3></div> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><a href="https://connectedfamilies.org/courses/questions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Power of Questions Online Course</a></li> <li><a href="https://connectedfamilies.org/courses/entitlement/">The Entitlement Fix Online Course</a></li> <li><a href="https://connectedfamilies.org/childs-strengths-gifts-gone-awry/">Blog Post &#8211; Want to Know Your Child’s Strengths?</a></li> <li><a href="https://connectedfamilies.org/how-to-get-kids-to-do-chores/">Blog Post &#8211; Help! How On Earth Do I Get My Kids to Do Chores?</a></li> </ul> <p>Check out <a href="https://connectedfamilies.org/">our website</a> for more resources to support your parenting!</p> <p><em>This podcast was made possible by members of </em><a href="https://connectedfamilies.org/monthly-giving/"><em>The Table</em></a><em>, whose monthly support creates a ripple effect of change for generations to come. We’d love to have you take a seat at </em><a href="https://connectedfamilies.org/monthly-giving/"><em>The Table</em></a><em>!</em></p> <p>Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents discover the show!</p> <div class="wp-block-stackable-heading stk-block-heading stk-block-heading--v2 stk-block stk-ed2f884" id="guest-bio" data-block-id="ed2f884"><h3 class="stk-block-heading__text">Guest Bio:</h3></div> <div class="wp-block-stackable-text stk-block-text stk-block stk-fc8e1a2" data-block-id="fc8e1a2"><p class="stk-block-text__text"><a href="https://www.parentwithhope.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Katie Wetsell</a> has always had a calling on her heart to care for children. She has worked as a pediatric oncology nurse and pediatric nurse practitioner. After experiencing the benefits of parent coaching through Connected Families, Katie later resigned from nursing and became a Certified Parent Coach. She and her husband have four children (three boys and a girl) through birth and adoption. Katie is also trained in<a href="http://www.spacetreatment.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> SPACE</a> treatment to help parents learn how to support their children struggling with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders. You can learn more about Katie at <a href="http://www.parentwithhope.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">parentwithhope.org</a>, and on Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/parentwithhopecoach" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@parentwithhopecoach</a> and Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/parentwithhopecoach/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@parentwithhopecoach</a></p></div> <div class="wp-block-stackable-text stk-block-text stk-block stk-044866a" data-block-id="044866a"><p class="stk-block-text__text">© 2026 Connected Families</p></div> <div class="wp-block-stackable-hero stk-block-hero stk-block stk-aa48b45 stk-block-background is-style-center-overlay stk--has-background-overlay" data-v="2" data-block-id="aa48b45"><style>.stk-aa48b45-inner-blocks{justify-content:center !important}.stk-aa48b45{background-image:url(https://connectedfamilies.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/BW-father-and-daughter-questions-scaled.jpg) !important;padding-top:64px !important;padding-right:64px !important;padding-bottom:64px !important;padding-left:64px !important}.stk-aa48b45-container{background-color:#00000080 !important}.stk-aa48b45-container:before{background-color:#00000080 !important}.stk-aa48b45 .stk-block-hero__content{min-height:500px !important;max-width:80% !important;margin-right:auto !important;margin-left:auto !important}@media screen and (max-width:689px){.stk-aa48b45 .stk-block-hero__content{max-width:100% !important}}</style><div class="stk-block-hero__content stk-content-align stk-aa48b45-column alignwide stk-container stk-aa48b45-container stk-hover-parent"><div class="stk-block-content stk-inner-blocks has-text-align-center stk--column-flex stk-aa48b45-inner-blocks"> <div class="wp-block-stackable-heading stk-block-heading stk-block-heading--v2 stk-block stk-6f6b9fa" id="less-arguing-more-wisdom" data-block-id="6f6b9fa"><style>.stk-6f6b9fa .stk-block-heading__text{color:#FFFFFF !important}</style><h2 class="stk-block-heading__text has-text-color has-white-color stk-block-heading--use-theme-margins">Less arguing. More wisdom.</h2></div> <div class="wp-block-stackable-text stk-block-text stk-block stk-edba61d" data-block-id="edba61d"><style>.stk-edba61d .stk-block-text__text{color:#FFFFFF !important}</style><p class="stk-block-text__text has-text-color has-white-color">That&#8217;s what you get with the <em>Power of Questions</em> online course.</p></div> <div class="wp-block-stackable-heading stk-block-heading stk-block-heading--v2 stk-block stk-0e03157" id="span-style-color-var-palette-color-7-e-0-fbfc-class-stk-highlight-38-span" data-block-id="0e03157"><style>.stk-0e03157 .stk-block-heading__text{font-size:50px !important}@media screen and (max-width:999px){.stk-0e03157 .stk-block-heading__text{font-size:50px !important}}</style><h2 class="stk-block-heading__text has-text-align-center"><span style="color: var(--theme-palette-color-7, #e0fbfc);" class="stk-highlight">$35</span></h2></div> <div class="wp-block-stackable-button-group stk-block-button-group stk-block stk-07fbda3" data-block-id="07fbda3"><div class="stk-row stk-inner-blocks stk-block-content stk-button-group"> <div class="wp-block-stackable-button stk-block-button stk-block stk-66f8236" data-block-id="66f8236"><style>.stk-66f8236 .stk-button{background:var(--theme-palette-color-1,#ee6c4d) !important}.stk-66f8236 .stk-button:hover:after{background:var(--theme-palette-color-2,#98c1d9) !important;opacity:1 !important}.stk-66f8236 .stk-button__inner-text{font-size:21px !important;color:var(--theme-palette-color-8,#ffffff) !important;font-weight:600 !important}@media screen and (max-width:999px){.stk-66f8236 .stk-button__inner-text{font-size:21px !important}}</style><a class="stk-link stk-button stk--hover-effect-darken" href="https://connectedfamilies.org/courses/questions/"><span class="has-text-color stk-button__inner-text">LEARN MORE</span></a></div> </div></div> </div></div></div>