Children are sensitive and they only act what they see at home. We want our children to grow with a positive attitude. As parents, we do our best to nurture them but we also know when to discipline them. Among it all, we should learn how to encourage our children.

Encouraging our children is a crucial element in their growth and development. Here are some ways to encourage our children:

• Thumbs up: Instead of showing dislike, we should give our sign of thumbs up. Our child will interpret them according to what they really feel but a thumb up is a positive sign. It can do the trick.
• Saying “you are on the right track”: Kids simply want to impress their parents. They will know if we dislike their actions. If we see that our children are on the right track, we have to voice it out. It will drive them to do more.

• Consoling and saying “you’ve worked so hard on that”: Our children will make mistakes and there is no use stressing it out to them. The best thing to do is console them by saying “you’ve worked so hard on that” or “next time, things will be better”.
• Saying “I am proud of you”: Our children needs assurance not our judgment. No matter the achievement, we should always say “I am proud of you”. It will not only encourage them but it will also boost their self-confidence and self-worth.

As parents, we should not leave the encouraging to school and teachers. Yes, we have quality education here in Singapore but the encouragement should never stop in school premises – it should continue in the house. We should be the prime mover of encouraging our children.