A few months a go I took on a new part-time child. Everything has gone great with the child and the parents so far, but this morning Mom and I were talking and she asked me if I could stop praising her child. She continued to say that she and her husband feel I praise too much and they would like their child to do things for herself and not for others approval... I was totally caught off guard and didn't really know how to respond to that. I told mom I would try and cut back on little things. But that I would not stop praising her.

I also told mom that for behavior management I use positive reinforcement, which involves praising the child. (I have a large section in my handbook that outlines my 3 tiers of behavior management and the first tier is all about positive reinforcement)

Mom seemed ok with my response and left happy. But Im still shaking my head... I have been a home daycare provider for 10 years, and prior to that I work in a centre, and performed back up childcare for my sisters home daycare and I have never came across this kind of request before. Have any of you other ladies heard a request like this before?

I really dont feel I "praise too much" but now Im curious....

How often do you praise your children and daycare children?

What would you have said to mom?

Any suggestions incase it comes up again?