Back in the days when behavior modification was "all that plus a bag of stickers," teachers were taught to praise, praise, praise.
If Johnny answered one math problem out of ten, he was praised. If Sally kept quiet for
three whole minutes, she was praised. The
ubiquitous "Good job!" (best repeated in a singsong manner and coupled with a glow-in-the-dark happy face) rang through all the "happy" hallways.
But this is now the twenty-first century, and articles such as 9 Things You Shouldn't Say to Your Child reign supreme. Not
surprisingly, these nine forbidden parental verbalizations include the following: Why can't you be more like your sister? Wait till Daddy gets home! Stop, or I'll give you
something to cry about… But surprisingly, they also include "Great job!" and "Good girl!"
Paula Spencer of Parenting
explains that these last two exclamations are used so indiscriminately as to become meaningless. Chirping
"Great job!" each time your child makes a stray mark with a crayon could quickly lose its salutary effect.
She recommends replacing effusiveness with specificity. A well-placed "It's so refreshing to see a purple pig for a change" is much more invigorating to your toddler's sense of artistry than a generic "Nice picture."
"OMG!" you lament.
"Next thing you know, they'll be taking the praise out of worship. "Not a
prayer!" (as they say in secular circles)…
After all, "Hallowed" does not ring hollow – it instead expresses gratitude for That which is eternally praiseworthy.
Resources
http://living.msn.com/family-parenting/back-to-school/article?cp-documentid=253256589&pageart=6
Copyright August 20, 2012 by Linda Van Slyke All Rights Reserved
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