If you were to examine your conversations, how much of it would lean towards being critical and negative and how much of it would lean toward being complimentary and positive? I read about a mom who realized how critical her language was – especially towards her kids. She said she realized how much time she spent correcting and criticizing her kids, so she decided to make a change.
For entire month, she made it a point to offer a real, genuine compliment to each of her kids. She also determined that it shouldn’t be a compliment related to their looks or what they might be wearing. Another rule she established, that the complimented couldn’t be accompanied by a “but” or a “however” – saying something like “You did a great job with the dishes, BUT next time can you do a better job of putting them away.”
A funny thing began to happen. Her kids behavior got better. There was less fighting amongst her kids. And she felt better about herself. The mom also noticed her kids being much more complimentary, too. And from that, she learned another skill – how to take a compliment.
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Koldunova_Anna
