Everyone needs a bit of praise now and then. Kids, however, will need praise and congratulations constantly! After all, it feels good to hear nice things from the people who love you, and when you’re a child, that makes up the background noise of your thoughts for years to come.
So, maybe you’ve got a troubled teen in the house, and you want to make them feel more comfortable and confident. Maybe your younger child struggles to focus in the classroom or makes making friends difficult.Â
No matter what’s going on in their lives, making a big deal out of the things they achieve creates a very positive feedback loop. This will set them up for success later on in life, and when they make mistakes, it’s not going to drag them down!
It’ll Help Them to Feel Capable
When we’re recognized for the effort we put in, and congratulated for what we achieved because of it, we are given a moment to reflect about what we’ve really done. In that moment, we feel capable and competent, and like we can go on to do even more. That’s something every child deserves to feel!
Kids who grow up without this reinforced sense of capability find it much harder to put their hand to things. They may not think the effort of learning/gaining new skills is worth it, because they’re not sure how it’ll work out. This ties in with a low sense of self worth, which we all suffer with from time to time, but a bit of praise in the right place can fix that!
It’s Fun to Celebrate!
Celebrating is fun, and kids love to have fun – it’s one of the feelings they respond the most to. They’ll remember just how fun it was to accomplish something, even if the hard work wasn’t quite so enjoyable, and they’ll adopt that attitude into the future. As such, when the occasion calls for it, take your praise a step further and have a full blown celebration.
Just finished up a round of exams? Find a birthday party venue near you, as this will have the right facilities and plenty of room, and let your child hold a celebration with all their friends. Just moved to a new school and have put every effort into settling in? Have a big movie night with all the treats they could want. Recognize what they did with a tangible reward and they’ll never quite forget why working hard is worth it!
Positive Reinforcement is Always More Effective
Negative reinforcement is harmful. While criticism can be helpful, it needs to be given from the heart, in a constructive way, bracketed with compliments. That’s where positive reinforcement comes in. Focus on what your child did well, and even if they didn’t complete the goal they set out to, make sure they feel good about what they did achieve!
Achievements deserve praise. Make sure your child hears plenty of it!
