Should I Allow Compliments About How My Kid Looks?
Mar 11, 2024
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Should you entertain compliments about your child's appearance? The hosts discuss navigating racial dynamics in parenting and offering character-based compliments. Recommendations include hydration gadgets and the Art Hub for Kids YouTube channel. Join the conversation on Facebook and support the show by subscribing to Slate Plus.
Balancing compliments between appearance and character traits is crucial for nurturing a child's self-esteem.
Acknowledging a child's physical attributes, especially for black children, plays a vital role in promoting positive self-image.
Deep dives
Accepting Compliments About Children's Appearances
The podcast episode discusses the topic of accepting compliments about children's appearances. A parent of a black toddler questions whether it's right to redirect compliments about the child's looks to other attributes. The debate centers on the importance of affirming a child's appearance, especially in the case of being the only black child at school. The hosts explore the balance between acknowledging a child's beauty and promoting a holistic sense of self-worth.
Affirming Self-Esteem Through Compliments
The conversation delves into the impact of redirecting compliments on a child's self-esteem. While acknowledging the significance of praising children for qualities beyond appearance, the hosts emphasize the importance of affirming a child's physical attributes, particularly for black children. They highlight the value of maintaining a healthy balance between complimenting a child's appearance and other traits to nurture self-confidence and positive self-image.
Recommendations and Balancing Compliments
Towards the end of the podcast, the hosts share personal recommendations and insights on balancing compliments for children. They suggest specific approaches to complimenting children, focusing on traits like politeness, kindness, and intelligence, in addition to physical appearance. The discussion promotes the idea of providing diverse forms of validation to children while addressing the nuances of praising their looks alongside other characteristics.
On this episode: Elizabeth Newcamp, Zak Rosen, and Jamilah Lemieux answer a question that someone actually posed to Jamilah on Instagram… about whether it’s okay to entertain compliments about your kid’s appearance. A facilitator at school has suggested redirecting to character compliments when this toddler — the only Black kid in her class — is praised for her appearance. But is there place for just calling a cute kid a cute kid?
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