Five Reasons Not to Say Good Job

Wow. I knew to offer praise for specific actions from this article on the inverse power of praise by Po Bronson. I thought I was doing well.

But after reading Alfie Kohn's article, I realized that I do use praise in a manipulative way still. I feel like I can never let Pookaloo's success or helpfulness go unremarked, and it could be that I'm one of those described by Mr. Kohn who:

secretly or unconsciously ... believe it was a fluke. If children are basically evil, then they have to be given an artificial reason for being nice (namely, to get a verbal reward).