Positive reinforcement
praisePositive reinforcement
commonly used with all ages
It is easy to see misbehavior with a child. We are usually very quick at scolding a child when she did something bad. However, when a child shows good behavior we sometimes don’t stop to acknowledge it, and it would be so easy. Praising a child helps build a positive self-image.
Generally speaking, Americans prefer positive behavior management strategies over strategies that have a negative consequence.
Practice using positive reinforcement!
If you come from a country where positive reinforcement is not practiced so often, here is an exercise for you: Write down how many times you praised and how many times you criticized your host child in the last 24 hours. If you are criticizing your host child more often than you praise her, you are shaping your host child in the wrong direction.
Watch this short video from the Parents Magazine to better understand how positive reinforcement is used in the USA: