Motivation
7 articles
When Children Give Up: How to Respond
Your child starts to work on a puzzle, gets a few pieces in, can't find the next one, and immediately says "I can't do it" or throws it aside. A presc...
Why Praise Must Be Specific to Be Effective
"Good job" is harmless on its own and useless in volume. A child who hears it 40 times a day doesn't know which 40 things you meant. Specific praise —...
The Problem With Telling Children They Are Smart
"You're so smart" sounds like the safest thing you can say to a child. The data say otherwise. In a series of well-replicated studies, children praise...
How Positive Reinforcement Actually Works
Positive reinforcement is one of the most reliable tools in the behavioral science toolkit — and one of the easiest to misuse. Done well, it strengthe...
Why Parents Need Personal Goals
When you become a parent, your goals quietly collapse into your child's. Get through the day, hit the next milestone, keep the household running. That...
Why Autonomy-Supportive Parenting Produces Better Outcomes
A 3-year-old who has been told what to wear, what to eat, what to play with, and when to nap, all morning, is going to fight you about putting on shoe...
Homework Battles: Why They Happen and How to Defuse Them
The homework battle is recognisable in millions of households at 4pm: a tired child, a tired parent, a worksheet, and within ten minutes both people a...