Why everything is NOT awesome!

It's easy to turn into a cheerleader when our children try something new But it can have a negative effect which I believe teaches our children to look for praise or validation from someone else.

There's also the danger that you make an everyday action or behaviour that you want to encourage, like eating fruit or vegetables or picking up their toys, into something special that needs rewarding.

I'm not saying ditch the praise altogether. Just make it fit the achievement. Here in New Zealand have have a tendency to label everything as 'awesome' even things that really aren't....awesome that is.

It's hard to hold back I know. Believe me, there have been times when I've wanted to run up and down the street shouting with relief that my child had just achieved something after I'd spent hours gently supporting, encouraging and facilitating in the background.

Resilience is knowing you can rely on yourself to do things that are difficult and can encourage yourself to keep going..

Be ready to support and guide. To help make the action seem normal and not scary.

Take time to praise the action, 'Well done for trying that' then ask them how it made them feel to do it? No pressure then on having to do it again to please Grandma, Aunty or you.

Then congratulate yourself for being a great parent and share the win with friends later over a well-deserved coffee or wine.

Diana

Diana Rickman helps parents develop calm, confident and resilient children. She has over 20 years of experience supporting and teaching in schools, daycare centres, and kindergartens in the UK and New Zealand. Diana is a Certified Children's Mindfulness Facilitator and is a registered Advanced Emotional Freedom Technique and Matrix Re-imprinting, practitioner.