4.11 – Positive attention and praise – feedback
Did you come up with any of these?
- “Good job – I am so proud of you!”
- “That makes me so happy.”
- “I knew you could do it!”
- “That is remarkable.”
- “Excellent, you tried really hard!”
- “You mean such a lot to me.”
- “That’s right/correct.”
Do you feel comfortable saying these words?
If not, practice saying them. Say them to yourself in the mirror and smile, say it like you mean it! It feels so good when people notice you doing things well – Children love it; it reinforces their positive behaviour. If they get attention for doing things well they will want to do it more.
Children crave our attention and unfortunately they learn quite quickly that they get it for being naughty and if that is the only attention they get they will make do with that. Does this make sense? Our attention is our most valuable resource and giving it to our children is incredibly important. It literally shows them that you care for them and love them, that you are interested in them and that you notice their positive qualities. Give it a go.
Make some notes in your Journal/Diary about what new things you are saying and how your children are responding. Well done, you have now completed four sessions and have been working really hard. Good job! (It’s great isn’t it?)
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