One day while I was unloading the dishwasher, 2-year-old Mark started handing me plates.
At first I was worried that he might drop something or grab a fork at the wrong end, but with close supervision, I treated Mark’s helpfulness as though it were normal.
I asked him for one plate at a time and taught him to hold bowls from the bottom. When we were finished I said, "Thanks for helping, buddy," and left it there.
Overdoing the admiration can over-inflate the receiver's sense of importance.
Now, at age 7, Mark knows he should contribute to the household, and I've recognized that sprinkling the praise has lead to a sparkling self-esteem.
This article originally appeared in the May/June 2010 issue of Thriving
Family
magazine. Copyright © 2010 by Clem Boyd. Used by
permission.
ThrivingFamily.com.