Too often in high school, the praise that kids receive is rooted in comparison.
“You scored in the 97% percentile.”
“You had the most points on the team.”
“Your solo was the best one.”
Comparison isn’t inherently bad, especially when it’s the standard of judging a performance. If you’re on the swim team, your performance in a meet is based on how fast you swim compared to other swimmers.
But even when the comparison is the basis, the praise at home doesn’t need to be that way.
“I know you studied really hard for that test.”
“I’m so happy that you’re really enjoying playing on the team this year.”
“I was so proud. You didn’t seem nervous at all during your solo!”
Naysayers may claim that we need to get kids prepared for the cold, hard, real world where winners get ahead. But that’s not rooted in fact for most industries–or in life. Most successful people have a string of failures on their unspoken resume entirely because they were willing to take on uncertain challenges. And your personal life is rarely rooted in competition (there’s a reason most wedding vows don’t include a promise to be a winner).
Parents, the next time you want to express your pride to your student, look for a way that doesn’t rely on a comparison to others. Home should always be a place that cares more about who you are and less about where you placed.