In my last few podcasts I’ve talked about the problems with praise – and promised I would address the issue in full in a podcast.
Now a warning – this one is a little sciencey, and I do talk about a lot of research. But that’s because praising children is something we’ve been told to do for decades, so for someone to say not to do it – well, that’s kinda weird.
I’ll also help out a parent who is struggling with a toddler who keeps on lashing out and hitting.
And I have one of those parenting hacks that are so obvious – but so easily overlooked – for when the kids are bored and need some stimulation.
Show notes
Why we shouldn’t be praising:
- Praise makes kids self-focused and undermines empathy
- Praise actually makes kids less motivated – not more
- Praise can lead to poorer, rather than improved, performance
- Praise can make kids question their self-belief… am I really that good if they have to keep praising me?
- Praise can undermine relationships.
- Praise makes children feel their worth to us is contingent on us pleasing them. Ouch.
Plus, I’ll provide four really clear ideas for what we can do instead of praising our children that don’t have any of the drawbacks of praise.
All of this and more is explained in the podcast, so take a listen for the clear explanations.
This week’s parenting hack
Cushions and blankets… that’s all I’m saying here. You’ll need to listen to the podcast to find out why 🙂
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