When it comes to encouraging your child to brush their teeth, a little praise can go a long way. In fact, that was the idea behind a recent study. Researchers followed 81 three-year-olds and asked their parents to record the children brushing their teeth each night. They observed the toddlers’ brushing habits, as well as their attitudes after receiving praise for brushing. Here’s what they learned.
How Important is Praise?
In recent years, psychologists have discovered that while all praise is good, certain types of praise are more effective than others. This was also reflected in the children participating in the study.
For example, when parents used person-based praise such as “You’re so good at that!” or “Wow you’re an excellent tooth brusher” that focused on the talent and skills of the child, it sometimes backfired because the child may have believed they had some sort of special gift that they didn’t want to lose, and felt pressure to maintain it.
Conversely, parents in the study who encouraged their child by using process-based praise, such as saying things like “Great job trying” were found to have greater success encouraging their child.
Offering Suggestions
An important note from the study was that children who did not receive as much advice along with their praise also fared better. For example, saying things like “Great job brushing, don’t forget to brush the backs of your teeth” was less effective than simply offering straight praise without suggestions. In fact, according to the study, the kids brushed longer when they weren’t given any educational pointers along with their encouragement. Thus, while positive encouragement is always appreciated, it can often be a fine line between positive reinforcement and perceived nagging.
The Bottom Line
Ultimately, offering positive encouragement while your child is learning any new skill can help encourage them and boost their confidence, but exactly how you encourage them is extremely important. For best results, be on hand to help, but try to keep your praise process-based and leave out helpful hints or personal comments.
About Dr. Jung
Dr. Kwonduk Jung is a proud graduate of the University of New England and the University of New England College of Dental Medicine. He believes that education is the key to staying current on his skills and expertise and regularly takes continuing education courses to expand his knowledge. He is an active member of the American Dental Association, Maine Dental Association, and the Academy of General Dentistry.
To schedule a preventive check-up and cleaning for your child at Arundel Family Dentistry, please visit our website or call us today at 207-985-3576.