Describing what you see rather than praising is essential for our children to grow intrinsically motivated and to feel authentically affirmed. Here's how that can look:
"You chose the red frilly dress! And you buttoned all those buttons by yourself. That took a lot of work."
"Wow. That took a lot of brain work to come home with 100% on your assignment. I bet you feel really good about how your hard work paid off."
"I see blue, green, black and yellow in your picture. You chose to use a LOT of the yellow! And look how you went round and round with your marker to make so many circle shapes."
"Look how strong your muscles can be! What effort it takes to carry the bag all the way up the stairs. I appreciate your help."
"What a commitment you've had to your training. I can see how happy you are to make the team at school!"
"Math can be hard! Look at all the problems you've accomplished. You've concentrated on this for a long time."
"Your friend is happy you shared your toy! What a kind thing to do."
Read more at: Motherly.com
