How often do we say, "good job" without an afterthought? Sometimes, we do not even directly acknowledge a person's achievements or what that person says. This happens a lot in our homes with our children. This is not intentional; of course. Your child comes up to you while you are in the middle of cooking dinner to show you a picture they drew. You're reading a Instagram post and your child tells you they got an "A" on their test. Your child cleaned up their room without a reminder. Or we simply just cannot think of a better word or phrase (with the thousands of other ideas competing for our attention.) Well, you get the idea.
I did not realize how much I said," good job," until my toddler said, "Mommy I cleaned my mess. Didn't I do a good job?" It was at this point that I realized I needed to come up with different ways to show approval or I was going to raise a "Praise Junkie". I also wanted my son to know I care about the things he says and does.As parents, it is our job to build our children's confidence. We instill confidence and positivity when we directly acknowledge our children. I figured this would be a great time to write this post since May is Mental Health Month. If you get stuck, find a word or phrase on this list.
Nailed it!
Phenomenal!
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