Want your kids to grow up with a brain in their head? The trick isn't to keep them away from TV or feed them all organic produce. Nope, the key to smart cookies is to avoid telling the kids that they are smart.
Research has shown that praising children for innate qualities that they have little control over -- like being pretty or talented singers or intelligent -- doesn't help them learn how to solve problems. It appears that if they believe that their skill is something they are born with, they tend to just give up when the going gets tough.
However, if you praise the tots for being able to make the effort and solve the problem even when it is hard, they seem to grow up with a robust ability to deal with what's handed to them.
It's a subtle difference, yes, but one that might make a huge difference in a society where everyone has the "talent" to audition for American Idol.
Photo credit: Scientific American
