Here’s how it sounds when you praise effort instead of evaluating the child: Instead of, “What a smart boy you are!” You can say, “You kept on working on that puzzle until you figured it out.” Instead of, “You’re very talented at gymnastics.” You can say, “I saw you climbing onto that balance beam again and again until you walked the whole beam without falling off.” Instead of, “Good job dressing yourself.” Try, “You kept working on that button until you got it into that little buttonhole.”
