Being a parent, you can never be sure if you are doing things right or is there a room for improvement. One such situation that could occur for you is while praising your child. How would you know that you are raising your child with enough motivation to let him/her grow, or is it the other way around? Are you praising too much too make them overconfident? This article is really going to help you in finding what is right and wrong for your child.
Praise the talent
Instead of praising a particular thing that your child does, it is better to praise the talent that they have. It will help them in improving their skills and enhancing their talent rather than getting overconfident about what they have achieved already. Isn’t it clear? Imagine your child has made a painting. So, in this case, instead of saying that this painting is wonderful. You can simply praise the creativity or art that is the part of their personality. It will help them in looking at it with more detail, proving them a chance to enhance their skills.
The scenario other way around could actually make the children feel that they are already the best as they have created the best painting. So there is no room for improvement left, and the ultimate result of such a feeling is an overconfident child who lacks the necessary skill.
Don’t over exaggerate
Praising your child for the things that they don’t have is going to create a negative impact when they realise that you have been over exaggerating. In such a situation, they’ll feel low and motivated. So, in order to ensure that you don’t add up to their demotivation, it is important to be realistic. Praise the effort that your child has put in. But don’t praise the outcome if you don’t think it is good enough. You can clearly tell them that their efforts were good, but the results were not best at the moment. So, they should try again for it.
Don’t over involve yourself
If you are thinking that over involving yourself with your kids i.e., bring with him/her in every activity and telling them what to do and what not do is a good decision, then you are totally wrong. The kids would get an impression, as they don’t have any freedom. Additionally, they might feel too pampered; bring them far from the real world. In the later part of life, they won’t have the courage to deal with their problems on their own. Thus, being everywhere with your kid for motivating or praising them could be detrimental.
Be specific
When you are praising your child, be specific about what skill you are praising. Instead of saying “Well done”, you can say “Great job in colouring inside the lines”. This way, the child knows the reason why they are being rewarded with praise.
Each child is different. It is important to focus on your child’s strength but also to encourage them to try things that they might find difficult. Children also learn at different rates so it is important to praise the small positive steps forward.