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Parenting

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 —...

6 min read

Parenting

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...

6 min read

Parenting

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...

5 min read

Parenting

Building Self-Esteem in Young Children: What Actually Works

The self-esteem industry has done children few favours. The generation raised on trophy-for-everyone participation awards and "you're so special" prai...

5 min read

Development

Growth Mindset in Young Children: What It Is and How to Nurture It

Carol Dweck spent decades studying why some children and adults respond to challenge and failure with greater persistence and resilience than others....

5 min read