Yes.  You read that right.

No. I am not crazy. (Well, at least not about THIS.) I have two kids and I used to teach school so I know firsthand just what an impact praise can have on children’s lives.  When that genuine and meaningful praise comes from parents, kids feel amazing about themselves.  They will behave better, be more likely to do well in school and have success later in life.

But, there is an overused phrase of praise out there (especially with parents of young kids, and in early childhood education.)

GOOD JOB.

Seriously, what does that mean?

Don’t get me wrong.  I say it plenty BUT I have tried hard, as my kids have gotten older, to give more detailed and meaningful praise.  “Good job” is pretty lazy and doesn’t mean much. .

Remember, praise is NOT going to make your child an ego-maniac.  It’s just going to give them the confidence that they need to do well now, and in the future.

So, this year, try out some new phrases of praise and see if you get better results with your little ones!

Take a look at what I mean…

 

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This type of praise is particularly important for small children whose self-image and self-value are still developing.

There is nothing more valuable that you can do for your young child than to teach them young to value themselves, their own work and who they are at their core.  This type of confidence will serve them in every part of their life, and for the rest of their lives.

So, get creative with your compliments and see what happens.

For more information about early childhood self-esteem:

Education.com

Huffington Post