Many parents worry that there is such a thing as praising too much and that if they keep on praising their child, the child is going to turn into some sort of praise junkie and only perform for praise. It is not true that there is such a thing as too much praise. It is true that there is such a thing as praising incorrectly. So a lot of people will praise you are the prettiest, you are the smartest in the school, you are the da da da. That is not a good way to praise. It is too global and it is not accurate anyway. And so often the child will not even feel it. The better way to praise is to praise descriptively. I see that you are helping your brother Johnny learn how to read. I really appreciate it and then link it to a value. It shows what a good big brother you are. You are really kind. That is the way to praise. And praising needs to be not over talents, abilities, looks, brains, athleticism, music ability but it has to be over things that you value. How you want to shape your child: compassion, kindness, good listener, helpful brother, good big sister, those kind of things. So first, you descriptively praise what it is you see and then link it to what you value.