The Effects of Child Praise
Although praise can be a powerful motivator, it̵7;s important for parents to praise prudently. Misapplied praise that focuses on a child̵7;s personality or personal qualities may have a negative result, according to research from the American Psychological Association. To ensure that you deliver positive praise, learn the positive and negative effects of various forms of praise.
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Negative Praise
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It can be easy to slip into habits of negative praise of kids, especially when you feel eager to motivate your child or raise your child̵7;s self-esteem. Examples of negative praise include praising a child̵7;s intelligence or personal qualities, states speech-language pathologist Lauren Lowry, with the Hanen Centre, a not-for-profit organization working to help children develop language and literacy skills. This style of praise encourages children to focus on performance, possibly reducing motivation to perform. The phrases ̶0;Great job!̶1;; ̶0;I̵7;m proud of you̶1; and ̶0;You̵7;re so smart̶1; are examples of praise that may have negative effects with children.
Positive Praise
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Positive praise may be more akin to encouragement than praise, advises educator Leah Davies, with the Kelly Bear website, a resource for parents and educators. This encouragement focuses on specific efforts a child exercised, such as working hard on a school project or remembering to make her bed without a reminder. Examples of positive praise could be, "I've noticed the hard work you put into that project" or "I appreciate the effort you are making to keep up with your chores." This type of praise helps communicate exactly what you appreciate or like about a child̵7;s behavior or conduct so the child understands why you̵7;re pleased. Sharing specific observations about a child̵7;s actions is an ideal way to deliver positive praise.
Results of Negative Praise
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Delivering negative forms of praise can undermine a child̵7;s confidence and motivation. Praise with the wrong focus may even limit children because it could lead children to pursue perfectionism, warns psychotherapist and parenting expert Alyson Schafer. Because attaining perfection is impossible, and thereby, exhausting, children may stop trying altogether because they cannot reach the goal. Children may also feel manipulated by adults if adults misuse praise as a way of doling out valued approval to children. Generally, praising the effort instead of the finished product is more effective.
Results of Positive Praise
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When children hear positive praise, they often feel encouraged and motivated to continue to work and strive toward goals. Kids also understand exactly what they did that merited the encouragement, enabling them to repeat the behaviors again in the future. Positive praise also communicates a parent̵7;s interest in a child̵7;s activities because the praise delivered contains specific information.
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