Simple, right? Just a sandwich. Until someone makes you explain, precisely how to make it…

…to someone who has never seen or held a knife, opened a jar of peanut butter or used a plate.

Luckily, for parents, when we are teaching our children how to do things, we know that they have been growing, learning and watching all along.

They do know what a knife is and by a pretty young age, how to use one. They may have watched you make them a PB&J for their lunch and told you, quite plainly how to cut it “best” (triangles please.)

Then, when we are telling them what to do next, they say “I know” and they don’t need you for that, even though they do still need us for other things. (Like being able to reach the plates on the upper shelf of the cabinet – or to take them to the mall.)

What we sometimes forget, is that while parenting is about teaching them life-skills and making sure that they do their homework, clean up their room, or learn how to do things to survive on their own, it’s about so much more than that.

It is also about boosting their spirits and helping them grow, becoming confident and able to take risks. A sandwich of praise – correction – praise (or the Compliment Sandwich) is what they call it. They talked about it at Karate, at the Black Belt Challenge yesterday. I have certainly heard this before…even if It’s not always appropriate, sometimes even the best parents need a reminder to try to comment on the good things children are doing.

~ Dawn aka Hat Girl