I'm currently a leader in my church's children's ministry and volunteering at an emergency youth shelter, so this article grabbed my attention. I liked the part that talks about the generic praise vs the process praise. I have been doing this for years without realizing it. I never leave a comment like "That's a good painting!" or anything. I always need to add in things that bring more constructive and allows the child to tie things they've done to the success they've achieved.
Presence, Not Praise-
Being present in a child's life is much more difficult than just giving generic praise. In the modern world we live in, a lot of children don't have people who are present with them. Many come from one parent households in which the parent can't find the time to be with them. Or they are shipped off to a daycare in which they have to share the attention of only a few workers between several other kids. For a child to have someone who can be their friend that's an older role model is a very big deal in this society anymore.
Photo taken by Cynthia Griggs; Source: Wikimedia Commons
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