In Praise of Children

A timely topic today is covered in the New York Times by Tara Parker Pope. It refers to the almost-constant praise that many children today receive. An article in Scholastic indicates that the Brookings Institution's Brown Center 2006 Report on Education shows that American students lag behind Korean students in actual studies, although they believe that they are excellent math students. Some state that constant praise takes away from actual achievement.

As a child psychiatrist, I advise parents to praise the acts, instead of providing general praise. I also try to do this with my own children. It is difficult to be specific. For example, instead of saying, "Great job!" for an A+ on a spelling test, try saying, "You must have worked hard to receive an A."

Try it today with a child!