Wednesday, April 22, 2009
"Affirmation Overload"
I believe this concept is accurate, as are the harmful long term effects...
In the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star-Tribune, Kate McCarthy asks: Are we 'Good-job!'-ing our kids to pieces?:
"If all kids get is kudos, it can be a recipe for lots of therapy later, he says: What are they going to do when they get even the slightest bit of criticism later in life, in college or on the job?
'The roof falls in. They should get honest, but not hurtful, feedback,' Swihart said. 'Steady, ongoing correction.'
Steven McManus, a family therapist in Golden Valley, agreed.
'Although I think this [over-praising] movement is basically rooted in good intentions, these are often the young adults I see as clients,' McManus said. 'Often they have difficulty at conflict resolution, disappointment or tolerating any negative emotions at all.'"
