WAYS TO SAY "GOOD FOR YOU!"

Everyone knows that a little encouragement goes a long way. But a "little encouragement" really needs to be more than the same few phrases repeated over and over again. We all need to have more than the traditional "good," very good," and "fine" and this is especially true for children. Sincerity, creativity, and variety are powerful tools in building your child's self-esteem. Here are some possibilities:

How did you do that?
That's really nice.
Keep up the good work.
That's quite an improvement
Thank you very much.
That's clever.
That's an interesting point
Congratulations!
Now you've got the hang of it.
Terrific effort!
Super!
Beautiful!
You've got it now.
Nice going.
I appreciate what you've done.
I think the others would like to see.
No one says it quite like you.
That's coming along nicely.
That's going to be great.
I like the way you... I'm glad that you're my daughter/son.
I can tell you really care.
You're a good leader.
It looks like you put a lot of work into this.
It makes me happy when people work together.
That's an interesting way of looking at it.
You're incredible.
I like the way you're working.
How does that make you feel?
You really paid attention!
What neat work!
You really outdid yourself.
Very creative.
Good thinking.
You're right on track.
That's a very good observation.
That's a good point.
Excellent!
Oh, I see your point.
You make it look easy.
You are so helpful.
I'm glad you're here.
That's encouraging.
Thanks for sharing.
It must make you feel good that...
I like the way you worked that out.
It's fun to play on your team.
What I love about you is...
You're a good friend because you...

(Adapted from the work of Edward S. Kubany) Reprinted with permission from page 21 of the Workbook: "Redirecting Children's Behavior," published by the International Network for Children and Families

Last updated 2 March1999

by Duen Hsi Yen

E-mail: yen@noogenesis.com

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