How we praise our kids makes a difference to their psyche.
"Look at the full marks you've got there. Smart boy." What they interpret: “Yes, I'm smart. I must keep getting straight A’s to remain smart. If I am not good at an area, I'd better stay away from it. After all, I want to maintain my smart status.”
"Wow.. you must have put a lot of effort into that." What they interpret: “Hard work pays off. It doesn't matter if I'm not good at a certain thing because I can always learn. Trying new things is a challenge.”
If you want to raise a successful kid, don't praise their intelligence. Praise their efforts.
