101 Compliments for Kids That’ll Raise Them Up!

Inside: If you are looking for creative compliments for kids, we’ve got 101 beautiful ideas for you. This post also includes two free printable posters you can hang on your fridge so you never run out of ideas for positive things to say to kids again.

Did you know that the more you compliment your kids, the more good you will notice in them?

Mind blown.

There are oodles of feel-good reasons why we should be complimenting our children. Benefits such as helping build their self-esteem, creating a sense of belonging, and providing encouragement.

Here’s the thing:

It’s easy to get caught in the trap of only noticing and commenting when your child is misbehaving. And this can leave kids feeling like the “bad kid.”

But:

Noticing the good will pay off. It will change the internal story your kids have running in their heads. The story about who they think they are, down in the deepest cockles of their being.

And we want that to be a happy story.

Noticing the good will also encourage appropriate behaviour. The more you compliment your kids, the more they will believe what you say, and strive to be that way.

It’s my goal to compliment my child everyday.

Below, we will look at why complimenting your child is SO important, while also giving some great examples of compliments you can use. 

Snag this poster (for free) near the end of this post.

Believe it or not, all kids crave and seek approval from their parents.

Compliments show you notice when they are doing good.

It’s perhaps one of the most effective tools for increasing a child’s sense of self-esteem.

(Chore charts also increase a child’s self-esteem, read more on that here).

There are many benefits to using compliments with your child. Some of the best benefits include:

• Boosts the self-confidence of your child. 
• Helps your child know they are doing an excellent job at something. 
• Encourages your child to continue working hard. 
• Promotes the motivation your child has. 
• Gives your child a sense of self-believe
• Makes your child more resilient
• Helps your child feel seen

Sometimes we get busy with day-to-day tasks, and we forget how important sprinkling sweet compliments throughout the day can be.

It is imperative we pause and notice.

Compliments are sweet little gifts of love we can give to our child.

But they only work if they are given genuinely. (More on that below)

Taking just a few minutes a day and inserting a compliment or two for each child, or inserting compliments for your students can make all the difference. 

How to Give Compliments to Kids

It can be easy to just start praising our kids, using statements such as, “Great job pal!”

But statements like this are very general and don’t really help the child understand what it is that they, in fact, did a great job at.

So:

Use descriptive compliments wherever you can.

Instead of saying, “Great job today pal.” You could say, “Great job putting all your toys away. Thank you!”

And lastly, don’t focus too much on physical appearance or only complimenting when your kiddo’s get an A+ in math or a goal in hockey.

Praising kids only for their outstanding accomplishments can have a counter effect.

It can make them feel as if they are only worthy or good when they win or look good.

Compliment the intention and the effort or spirit rather than the accomplishment itself.

So instead of saying, “Great job getting an A on your math quiz.” You could say, “I saw how hard you studied, and I’m so proud of your determination to never give up, and it paid off in your grade too.”

100 Compliments for Kids

Now that we know all the benefits of complimenting our children and some general tips on things to do when complimenting kids, you may be eager for some compliment for kid ideas.

Remember, when using these compliments below, be sure to add something specific. Many of these compliments are general, and you should take it one step further with your personalized addon.

(Example: Instead of just saying excellent job, say excellent job on spending two extra hours studying last night.)

And if you love this, we also have a brilliant list of 101 Positive Things to Encourage Children that I think you’ll LOVE!

Here are 100 compliments for children you can sprinkle throughout the day:

Don’t forget to snag your free poster!

If you are obsessed with cute inspirational posters like me, then you might also want to snag our 101 positive things to say to kids’ poster.

Give Your Kids Compliments

Your kids are an empty bucket. Fill them up with love, light, and confidence.

So shower them with confidence and:

• Promote motivation
• Help them become more resilient to the world
• Promote the good behavior that you want
• Make them feel special

Adding some variations and creating compliments that are unique to your child is important and can give them the positive outlook on life they deserve.

Start out slow with just a few compliments a day, and see for yourself what a positive impact it can have on your child. 

After writing this, I told my son that he has a smile that could light up any room. And oh my did his little eyes sparkle. All it takes is a small effort and a special moment.

I can’t wait to hear your own special compliments and stories below.