An adult's drawing of specific things like an airplane or heart sets a standard that young children cannot realistically reproduce. This creates frustration and low self-esteem in the child. The child should gain a sense of personal potential and capacity to manipulate materials. Use non-judgmental descriptions when talking about a child's artwork. This allows children to make their own evaluation of their work.
External judgments create expectations that place an adult's value on the child's work.
Back to table of contents. As with art, using objective words rather than judgmental words to describe children's behaviors allows them to focus on their behavior rather than their value as a person. This approach is especially important with young children who are developing self-esteem based on the opinions of others, especially the ones they love. This type of statement reassures the child of the parent's unconditional love, acceptance, and promised return. Back to table of contents.