Back in April, I wrote a post in defense of (the right) punishments. Now I’m back to defend praise. Praise has gotten some really bad press and is on the parenting behavior chopping block. Sweeping claims in popular media that praise is “bad” have well-intentioned parents stopping themselves from cheering their children on for fear of ruining their child’s motivation, making their child into an approval junkie, manipulating their child, or creating pressure to perform for their child.

I feel like I can’t keep quiet when the internet is all abuzz with parenting “don’ts” that aren’t directly supported by the decades of parenting research. Research shows that, while praise doesn’t immediately change young children’s behavior (Owen, Slep, Heyman, 2009; Owen, Slep, Heyman, 2012), it teaches children about what behaviors are desirable, makes them feel good about themselves, and increases interest in tasks. So, praising your child for putting their dirty clothes in the hamper, bringing their

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