Appreciating Kids' Abilities, How to Make Kids Feel Their Work Matters.

When working, we like to feel that our work matters and that what we put so much effort and energy into is valuable for others. The feeling that comes with knowing that our actions matter motivates and drives us to continue creating and working to achieve a better outcome.

Kids and teens of all ages feel the same. Kids want their parents to look at them and feel proud of themselves. Toddlers start making funny movements and sounds to capture adults' attention and get their recognition. When they see they have their attention and approval, they increase their actions to maintain it. They feel happy seeing that they are grabbing people's attention.

On the other hand, teens show their love for people's appreciation for them in more mature ways, such as winning their peers' admiration and getting admiration from people around them. They like to see that their work and behavior outside school matter to people in their social group, especially people of their age. Teens want to be role models for others, be applauded by them, and be recognized by people they admire.

From a young age, we seek people's approval of our actions. If we consider how humans lived in the past, we will realize that this feeling of needing people's approval is a natural response in us.

Where the feeling of wanting to be accepted comes from.

Let's think of the days when humans lived and traveled in herds. In those times, individuals rejected from their group were more likely to die on their own. A single human being in nature would face enormous difficulties, and not every person would be able to survive them. We naturally needed to be accepted by others—specifically, people close to us or worthy of our admiration—to survive.

Even though the desire to be accepted by others is a normal human response, the days when we lived in herds have gone by, so it is imperative to develop enough self-esteem to validate our work even though no one is watching us and approving it.

There will be times when no one is there to cheer us up, and it will be our job to do so. Because of that, it is crucial to develop strong confidence in our actions from a young age. During their developing years, kids and teens must learn to believe in their ideas and projects to stand out without needing other people's approval.

Appreciation as a support to encourage kids' confidence.

Highlighted the importance of developing auto-confidence in children's work and behavior; it is essential to constantly support children's actions and reinforce them with words of kindness and appreciation.

We must remember they are in the developing years, where they are learning a lot of stuff related to social, educational, and family topics. Childhood and puberty are times in people's lives when everything can be confused or can get confusing rapidly.

Therefore, it becomes the duty of adults to bolster kids and teens by acknowledging the value of their learning journey. By doing so, we contribute to the growth of their confidence and self-esteem and enhance their motivation for learning and education. This active role in their learning process makes us feel more influential and empowered in their lives.

As long as we teach children to develop their self-esteem about their work, we must show them that what they are doing at school is valuable, that their work matters to us, and that it is essential for the people surrounding them.

All teachers, parents, and other adults can help students be proud of their work and see how worthy it is for the people around them.

When children see they are getting recognition for their learning, they put extra effort into class. When a teacher congratulates them for being able to say the multiplication table of 9 or solve a chemistry equation, they feel good. That feeling empowers them to enhance their skills, showing that they can do it again the next day even better.

This is because we all want to feel that what we do has value. For example, at work, we expect our boss to schedule a feedback meeting to highlight the good things we know we are doing right, and we feel amazing when we get the recognition we deserve. Kids of all ages feel the same when they get awareness in their learning journey,

Three Ways to Show Appreciation to Students of All Ages.

Just a simple word makes a world of difference.

By saying words of admiration such as 'That's an incredible idea' or 'I value the effort that you are making,' we mark a difference in a student's day. Kind words allow them to see how teachers and parents care and recognize the value of their actions and learning.

It is always a great way to share positive thoughts about something they might be doing right with them.

For example, by complementing a preschool student for their beautiful writing or the perfect way of holding their pencil. Or by letting know a middle school kid has been doing an excellent job in algebra or outstanding a high school student for their creativity. These are moments where we can impact students only by sharing words of appreciation for their actions, behaviors, and work in their learning.

Highlight student's unique characteristics.

All of us are unique, and all students have something positive we can highlight about them. From the kindness shown towards their peers to how easily they can remember names and dates in history class, we can always find something good in every person if we take the time to search for it. For instance, you can praise students for their creativity in solving a problem, their leadership skills in group activities, or their perseverance under challenging tasks.

Take the time to say nice things about students' merits in their behavior, academic performance, or values, encourage them to continue showing those good qualities in themselves, and even inspire them to show more good qualities to others.

Sharing successful people's stories

By sharing with students the stories of people in their community who are growing in an area of their interest, we are helping them see the fruits they can obtain by continuing to push themselves to improve their studies.

Also, if we share stories of improvement of other students who faced the same difficulties, we will increase their motivation by showing them how far they can go with hard work and dedication.

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