You can encourage this by celebrating your child’s achievements. A good time to do this is at dinner, when the whole family is together. Try these ideas:

  • Dedicate a food to your child. If you’ve made pasta, for example, say, “This is Scott’s spaghetti, in honor of how well he cleaned his room.” You can dedicate meals to other family members too. You might say, “This is Mom’s pizza, for fixing the computer.”
  • When someone in the family does well, let them use a special dinner plate. It might be a different color or have a special pattern on it. Look for opportunities to use it, such as when your child does something brave or learns a new skill. Make sure everyone has a chance to use the plate.

Copyright © Parent Institute