Most parenting advice resources highlight the importance of praising your child. Upon further investigation, however, it appears as if not all praise is created equal. Below I briefly summarize and evaluate different types of praise. 1. Evaluative Praise vs. Acknowledgement Praise • Evaluative praise provides a comment on the child’s desired/appropriate behavior that includes a …Read More
Can Praise Be Harmful to Children?
Dec 1, 2009
It seems like it is common wisdom to praise our kids for things like their athletic skills, musical ability, intelligence, creativity, talent, and so on. We want them to internalize all of our praise and have high self-esteem, right? Interestingly, the research does not bear this out. Praising kids for things that are not directly …Read More
Use of Praise with Children – Part 3
May 5, 2007
I call this technique the “principle of opposites.” It’s simple but effective. What is the most annoying behavior of your child? Does he frequently interrupt you? Does she have trouble complying with directions? What ever behavior it is, find its opposite…that’s the one that you really want to see more of anyway. Instead of giving …Read More
Use of Praise with Children – Part 2
May 4, 2007
When praising children, another helpful approach is to be specific about the praise. Often we assume that, when we say “good job,” little Billy knows to what we are referring. Billy might not have a clue. For example, if you exclaim “Wonderful job!” to Billy after he finishes a soccer game, how is he to …Read More
Use of Praise with Children – Part 1
Apr 28, 2007
It seems like it is common wisdom to praise our kids for things like their athletic skills, musical ability, intelligence, creativity, talent, etc. We want them to internalize all of our praise and have high self-esteem, right? Interestingly, the research does not bear this out. Praising kids for things that are not directly under their …Read More