To raise happy and self-confident children, compliments are required as they cheer children to do better. Praise or commend is when you tell your child what you like about their behaviour. Through positive comments, children are shown how to think and talk positively about themselves and what they are good at. Compliments can be in form of words, actions, for instance; rewards. For this reason, this is why you should praise your child more often;

They build trust. Praising kids in a good way gives them the courage to trust and open up to you as a parent. When you tell your kids that they are smart, beautiful, or appreciate them after completing certain tasks, they feel pleased and find comfort in that. However, it is important to give necessary compliments.

Praises are a form of encouragement. Imagine appreciating your child’s talent every day, this pushes them to thrive for better and even perfect results. A child doesn’t need to be extremely good at something for you to compliment them. You can even thank them when they remove their plate from the table after eating.

For motivation. If your child didn’t perform well at school, do not let them think they are the worst, rather, appreciate them for the marks they managed to score, they will feel inspired to even score highly. Do not discourage kids even when they didn’t make you proud. Remember they are just learning.

Compliments strengthen relationships. When your kid notices that you appreciate them, they feel loved. You are developing their self-esteem. Kids who are never appreciated don’t feel that they are good at anything, in most cases; they even fail to try something thinking that after all, they are not worth it.

Changes behaviour. When you praise a child, they learn to reform from their bad behaviours. Let them know that they can do better. For example, kids who don’t know how to lay their beds need to be taught and still need encouragement. But when they learn, thank them, they will lay their beds much better with time.

Praise builds kindness. Taking a step to thank your child upon accomplishing something makes you a kind parent. No one hates good compliments, when you get a chance to give them, do so.

Compliments are little gifts of love. They are not asked for or demanded but they inform a child about their noticed worth.

However, while praising your child, be genuine and precise, praise children only for traits they have the power to change, use expressive praise that articulates realistic standards, be vigilant about praising kids for triumphs that come easily, and most importantly, encourage kids to focus on mastering skills but not to compare themselves to other kids.

Note that when the praise is too much, it can be harmful. If you praise your kids constantly in a way that is dishonest, it can hinder their growth. Children who are praised for their every step may become afraid to take risks for fear of not always being at the peak.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw