Tough Love

I read an interesting article about the merits of praising your children for just simply every little thing versus being honest with them when really what they did was not up to the mark. It is a tough one for us doting parent types. But in the parenting skills course (contact your local council - ask for community learning and skills) I did, we went into this in some detail. And at home now we are trying to put into practise the idea of praising but in a moderated way. So maybe, 'That was a really good effort. But you have to check your work as there are still quite a few mistakes in there. Would you like me to go through it with you?' Beware - this does bring a bit of sadness or frustration or even anger. But I really believe it's a better preparation for life than letting them think they are stars all the time. Of course, they still got buckets and buckets of unqualified praise where deserved.