Parental praise good for child

Praising a child is a simple act. Improved behaviour and well-being can result simply from ensuring that a child's positive actions are rewarded with praise and parents are seen to be observing their good behaviour. That is the key finding of research by Sue Westwood from De Montfort University at the British Psychological Society's Annual Conference in Brighton.

Some 38 parents with children, aged between two and four years, were recruited from children's centres and universities to take part in the study over a four-week period, filling out a questionnaire to monitor behaviour and well-being.Those parents who succeeded in offering their child five pieces of praise each day, alongside catching their child's good behaviour, saw an improvement in the child's well-being when compared to a control group.This in turn led to improved behaviour and reduced levels of hyperactivity and inattention.This simple, cost effective intervention shows the importance of effective parental praise.