The new generation of young parents gets a lot of flak for how they smother their kids. These days it's not rare for a kid to receive a deluge of praise on a regular basis. Whether or not it's earned seems beside the point, but I suspect it always comes from an earnest place.
For the past several weeks I've taught kids ages 4 - 17 how to fall in love with books and storytelling. I zig-zag across cities schlepping boxes full of books like, Where the Wild Things Are and The Fellowship of the Ring.
What I've learned is that telling people, especially young ones, that you're proud of them matters. A lot. I've seen kids come to life at the sound of the 4 words, "I'm proud of you." Some are motivated to work even harder, others stare at me blankly as if they've never been told as much before. But they're always grateful. "Thank you, Mr. Nick," they say. And each time I offer a word or two of encouragement I can tell it was just what they needed to hear.
Don't be shy about praise. You can offer a kind word while keeping it grounded in reality. Just share a simple phrase saying you appreciate their effort and the way they show up in life. It will go a very long way.
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