Kids Praised For Being Smart Are More Apt To Cheat?

Just recently I came across an article stating that Kids Praised For Being Smart Are More Likely To Cheat.  I immediately thought ABSOLUTELY!  We've been saying that for years.

When we praise kids we potentially take away their own ability to praise themselves.  They start to become dependent on the outside world giving them acknowledgement and when this is practiced over and over, then it becomes a habit.

  • Have you ever felt like it would be nice to be recognized?
  • Or been fishing for a compliment?

Don't feel bad, we've all experienced that at some point or another. And it's not your fault, it's just a pattern that we picked up by constantly being praised. See when that happens, you never really get a chance to reflect and acknowledge yourself which is TREMENDOUSLY powerful. 

Self-Acknowledgment: A Powerful Tool

When a child nurtures the ability to recognize their own awesomeness (I know it might not be a word 🙂 ), that it thousands of times better than anyone from outside praising them.

So what do I do now?  How can I help my child gain that inner confidence, awareness, and positive self view.  Because we all want our kids to become successful and more importantly, we want them to be HAPPY!

So how can I help my child?

Try this…

Next time your child does something worth praising, DON'T praise them.

Ask them something like this:

  • So, how do you feel about the work you've just done?
  • What did you like most about what you've just accomplished?
  • Tell me something you enjoyed about what you just did?

Once you've done that…STOP & LISTEN!!!!

See, this is what we experience everyday in our Montessori classroom.  So it is no surprise as to why our kids become confident, self sufficient, driven and passionate about learning.

See, we don't praise them… We allow them to praise themselves.  They get to practice this over and over and over and over… (you get the point 🙂 )  So the only possible outcome is for them to recognize how amazing they truly are.   You can help your child do the same, it just takes awareness and consistency.

If you're unsure how to do this and want more ways in which you can help your child draw out their greatness, feel free to check out some of our parenting classes.  Or even better, come see it for yourself by scheduling a tour of our school.  You might just get some great ideas you can implement in your life.