Praise everyone all the time. Why? Because it's good for YOU! When you give positive feedback to someone, the cells of your own body are bathed in positive chemistry (don't ask what happens to those cells when you criticize people...). "Wow - you did a beautiful job!" "Hey, I like the way you shared!" "Now THAT'S a really clean desk!" Yes, they like it too and yes, it's very good for them in many important ways. But right now I'm thinking about YOU. YOU need to understand how beneficial the act of praising is to your own emotional and physical health.
We all do and say things we regret but we don't need to fret too much because...
It's not any one thing that you say or do that will deeply affect your child, but rather the patterns and tendencies you display, the repetitive actions and interactions, the general "feel" you convey and the overall impression you make. In other words, the summary of your overall presentation and the general message you've conveyed is what leaves its impact. If you had to describe that, what would it be? What would you need to be doing and saying regularly in order for your overall lasting impact to be, "I love you and I'm here for you?"
