Learn Why A Brain Expert Thinks Parents Shouldn’t Overpraise Their Children

Brain expert Daniel G. Amen in a recent podcast mentioned why parents should refrain from overpraising their child. Are you baffled as to why he would say that? Well, he explains that when a parent overpraises his child by calling them smart, the child may feel nice about it then. However, when the child finds something hard to do or does not succeed at something, a child may end up thinking that their parents lied to them. This is why how you build the self esteem of your child and praise them plays an important role. One needs to be more mindful of the words they use while complimenting or praising a child.

The expert recommends using expressions like ‘I appreciate the hard work you do’, or ‘I am proud of you’ to motivate a child to do better. He says these phrases will lend confidence to a child to work harder at something to find success.

We all know that children are impressionable in their growing up years and this is why parents need to be more aware about the choice of words they use with them. Listed below are some phrases that parents can use to build self esteem in children.

When a parent tells a child that they are getting better at what they do, it will immediately give a boost of encouragement to the child to keep doing what they do. They will feel that their efforts are being noticed and that alone will go a long way in making a child feel more determined.

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Words like ‘I believe in you’ can motivate a child to do better. A child will feel more confident in what they are doing and pursue their goals with more conviction, renewed confidence and vigour.

This is again one of the positive phrases that parents must tell their children often to keep them motivated and inspired. A lot of times, even children can feel bogged down and low while pursuing a task. This is when phrases like this can help them tide over the low moments and deliver the results.

A lot of times, a child can feel that their efforts are going unnoticed. When a parent tells the child that they admire them for their grit and determination, it gives them a surge of energy and confidence to keep at what they are doing.

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Children are kind human beings and when a parent appreciates their child for showing generosity to others, it can mean the world to children. A child feels more good about themselves when they hear good words for being kind. This phrase should definitely be used more often by parents to build a positive sense of self esteem in children.

Just like adults, even children can feel low confidence or doubt their abilities from time to time. When a parent tells a child to keep believing in themselves and their abilities, it can go long way in shaping their personality and building the character.