How to Use Praise Effectively to Boost Your Child’s Confidence

Praise is one of the most important ways to boost your child’s confidence—when used correctly.

Try to notice the small positive moments in your child’s day:
• When they sit nicely to eat
• When they greet someone politely
• When they throw something away without being asked

Describe what they did and finish with a positive adjective:
“You greeted Ms. Maria. That was very polite of you.”
This helps your child understand what exactly they did well and want to repeat it.

For praise to be effective, it should be:

• Genuine: Praise something that actually happened
  • Specific: Say exactly what they did well, not just “You’re a good kid”
  • Consistent: Make it part of your daily routine
  • Creative: Use different adjectives for different behaviors (cooperative, focused, brave, etc.)
  • Free of “but”: Don’t cancel your praise with criticism right after (e.g., “Good job, but you could’ve been a little neater…”)

Believe in your child, recognize their positive moments, and watch the brightest parts of their personality shine through.

Maria Lazarou
Speech and Language Therapist (SLP, BSc, M.A.)
Head of the Multidisciplinary Team, Evlogon