#27: Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement. Be hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise

I was on vacation this week and spent the majority of my time at my grandparents' cabin along the banks of the Missouri River in South Dakota.  I had very little cell phone coverage and no e-mail access!  So I suppose you could say that I practiced Principle 27 in an environment more similar to what Dale Carnegie was accustomed to in 1936 when he published the book.

Principle 27 is yet another principle focusing on praise and my two-year-old son, Tyler, was the main subject of my experiment this week.  Tyler thrives on praise and he is refreshingly honest about this fact.  For example, he asks that his "baby monkey" (stuffed animal) or "lovey" (small security blanket) watch him perform certain activities such as using the potty or playing with his toy tractor.  Even more, he asks them to clap at his accomplishments!  In fact, at supper just tonight Tyler exclaimed "Yay Tyler!!" and started clapping when he managed to spear a piece of penne pasta on to a fork. Of course, Alan and I followed suit and quickly joined in the applause!

Tyler's behavior this week has left me thinking... somewhere along the line it becomes socially unacceptable for us to ask for praise (or to praise ourselves, for that matter).  Chances are though that the majority of adults crave praise just as much as Tyler does.

So make someone's day this week and offer them a healthy dose of praise.  Give them the "kudos" they are silently desiring!

Tyler driving the boat for the first time as his great grandpa supervised - praise galore followed!