101 Ways to Praise a Child

This covered just about everything, but here's one for you. Keep up the writing. You're very creative!

DCMerkle

This is a great list. I really started trying to change things up a bit when a "good job" accidentally slipped out one day when I was teaching Portuguese to an older pair of students. It seems like kind of a kiddie only phrase, and they both rolled their eyes and said something about how kids would hear soon enough about "jobs" and why did that have to be a part of praise? I haven't completely given up "good job" but I make more of an effort to use other phrases, since they pointed that out. I also thought I'd add, That's amazing, Whoa! always comes out of my mouth when mine show me something they've done, and Cool! is good, too, though it can easily become robotic if you're not careful!

I think the very best is using whatever positive word of your choosing and specifically praise what they've done as in the, "Beautiful sharing" example from your list. This shows you're really paying attention, and kids want to know you're not just giving them lip service!

Great list!

Reading your list of positive praise words, I find myself saying I use that, quite a lot.  I try to use different words everytime I praise my daughter, I get the best reaction when I tell her that I am proud of her.  When I tell her I love her she says "I know mum and I love you too".   It is important that our children are praised in a positive way and to make them feel that everything they say and do is important to us as parents.

Great advice.

Great advice, and love the words you have used...I tell my children every day how much i love them and proud of their achievements with what they do....

xx cazza

I'v always praised my two, given positive encoragement. even when they have been at their most obnoxious, I'v told them that I may not like them at the moment but I always love them. It often takes the wind out of their sails. The advice I was given was " ignore the bad behaviour and praise the good"  obvously you can't igrore pehaviour if it's endangering life, but some times a 'watchfull' ignore works. then as soon as they start somthing good giving loads of praise....... I still call my son, 'my sunshine' and my daughter 'my star'. and they are both grown up.

Don't you just love the way their faces light up when you give your child real praise not just "good" or "ok"

xxx

hey

great posting, postive affirmations is a source of great joy for children and adult alike

may i include 'your tops' and 'your priceless'

thanks for sharing, rue

Hi honey,

Thanks for a great article . . I strongly believe in using positive parenting techniques . . Each and every day my hubby and I will make sure we give the kids compliments as well as telling them we love them . .  Danesha loves it when we tell her that she is our "Super Girl" . 

Cheers Kellz