Praising children with good performance is more difficult than most would believe. It’s very common for proud parents to say to their kids “You are so smart” after they do well on a test in school. This method is known as fixed mindset praise. So what’s wrong with that?

The problem arise next time the kid don’t do well on a test. They will think that they aren’t that smart, and it becomes a personal failure. With a limited depth of understanding and wanting to please the parents, this could lead to a downward spiral in their performance. Generally, children raised with fixed mindset praise don’t perform their optimal capacity in school, and won’t get good grades. (more…)