Why It’s Important to Praise Your Baby for Effort
 Category | Communication |
|---|
⏱️ Reading time: 2 minutes
Medically reviewed by pediatrician and perinatal psychologist Polina Kizino
Praising effort helps babies build confidence and curiosity. From the very first months, your support — through smiles, tone, and simple words — shows that trying is valuable. This forms motivation, perseverance, and a love of learning that grows with your baby.
What’s Inside
Quick takeaways
From birth, babies feel your approval: through smiles, tone of voice, and touch.
It's important to praise effort and the process — not just the result.
Supporting even small efforts — like reaching for a toy — helps a baby develop persistence and curiosity.
True support means being close to your baby, celebrating small successes, and not demanding perfection.
Praising effort builds a growth mindset
Even very young babies sense the difference between being praised for being “smart” and being praised for trying.
Research shows that when children are told “you’re smart,” they may start avoiding difficult tasks — to protect that label. But praising effort helps them see challenges as opportunities, not threats.
This forms what's called a growth mindset — a foundation for confidence, persistence, and learning from mistakes.
Smiles and warm voice are essential praise in infancy
Babies don’t yet understand words, but they deeply feel your emotions. A joyful voice, soft tone, smiles, and clapping — all are interpreted as support and encouragement.
Such non-verbal reinforcement helps build neural connections in the brain that support social and emotional development.
When you smile and say “well done” or encourage your baby while they try to reach a toy, they’re not just happy — they’re learning how to interact, feel supported, and return to challenges again and again.
How to praise effort in the first months
Even if it seems your baby “isn’t doing much,” they’re actually learning and trying every day — and that’s real work.
When we celebrate small victories — like clapping when they reach for a toy — we show that effort itself is an achievement.
This builds a powerful foundation for motivation and resilience.
Simple ways to support your baby’s efforts:
- Clap your hands when they reach for a rattle.
- Cheerfully comment: “You’re trying to roll over — almost there!”
- Smile and maintain eye contact when they focus on a toy.
- Say “Well done!” when they try to mimic a sound or reach toward you.
- Encourage them even when something didn’t work: “You tried so hard! Let’s try again!”
Remember: if something doesn’t work out, focus on the positive. What we emphasize is what gets remembered — for babies and for adults alike.
With care
Our articles are based on evidence-based medicine and reviewed by pediatricians. However, they do not replace a consultation with your doctor. Every child is unique — if you have any concerns, please consult a medical professional.
Essentials for baby care many parents choose
https://amzn.to/4qpwFOX
Some links in this article point to products or resources we genuinely find helpful for this topic. If you choose to buy through them, we may earn a small commission — at no extra cost to you.
Sources
- Mueller, C. M., & Dweck, C. S. (1998). Praise for intelligence can undermine children's motivation and performance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75(1), 33–52. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.75.1.33. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
- Gunderson EA, Gripshover SJ, Romero C, Dweck CS, Goldin-Meadow S, Levine SC. Parent praise to 1- to 3-year-olds predicts children's motivational frameworks 5 years later. Child Dev. 2013 Sep-Oct;84(5):1526-41. doi: 10.1111/cdev.12064. Epub 2013 Feb 11. PMID: 23397904; PMCID: PMC3655123. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23397904/. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
- Trevarthen, C. (1998). The concept and foundations of infant intersubjectivity. In S. Bråten (Ed.), Intersubjective communication and emotion in early ontogeny (pp. 15–46). Cambridge University Press.
- Beebe, B., & Lachmann, F.M. (2013). The Origins of Attachment: Infant Research and Adult Treatment (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315858067. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
- Dweck, C. (2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Ebook ISBN 9781588365231
- Ainsworth, M. D. S., Blehar, M. C., Waters, E., & Wall, S. (1978). Patterns of attachment: A psychological study of the strange situation. Lawrence Erlbaum.