<p>Parenting is a hard job and not everyone has the knowledge of how to best relate to their children. There are tons of books and resources telling you various ways to interact with your kids but who has time to read them all and to find out whether or not they’re based in research? Praising kids for their positive behaviors and actions may certainly be more effective in the long run than punishing them for their bad behavior, but that doesn’t mean praise is the answer. Studies show that praising kids directly (that is, without praising specific things) teaches kids to go after the reward; over time, they lose sight of the task and only care about the response. What, specifically then, should we praise our children for? A recent article on Psychology Today (http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/peaceful-parents-happy-kids/201307/what-every-parent-needs-know-about-praise) talks all about that.</p>
<p>We hope this helpful family counseling tip comes in handy with you and your child. If you think you could use some more or could use more help, please feel free to give us a call.</p><p>- <a href=\”https://plus.google.com/105182342113293066704?rel=author\”>Alex Michaud</a> <br></p>