I just caught this TIME article covering a new Stanford/Univ of Chicago parenting study…it’s something that makes a lot of sense but as parents we need the “proof” to really get us to adhere to the “better way” of doing something. The study looked at toddlers, an especially challenging time for working on behavior modification if I recall (who can forget!)…
“Praising the efforts, actions and work of the kid is going to be more beneficial in their long-term persistence and [desire
] to be challenged and work hard in the future.”
Such “process praise” includes comments such as “You worked really hard” or “You’re doing a great job,” which emphasize the child’s actions. “Person praise” includes comments like “You’re so smart” or “You’re so good,” which focus on a child’s inherent qualities. These distinctions aren’t new in the field of psychology, but exactly how they affect children’s development over the years hasn’t always been clear.
