20+ Compliments to Start the School Day That Have Nothing to Do With Looks

Often, I find it hard not to tell my daughters how pretty they look. It’s a conscious effort for me to ensure my compliments focus on who they are, rather than how they look.

This challenge comes as I transition from toddlerhood to kid-hood. As our children grow, we begin to understand their personalities and what makes them special. It’s understandable that we can’t stop talking about their cuteness, as humans are drawn to adorable babies (and puppies too).

It’s easier to give surface compliments to strangers, but we can go deeper with our own children.

Here are some non-appearance based compliments to get started. Take any of these a step further with specific observations you noticed.

On Relationships

1. You give the best hugs.
2. I love spending time with you.
3. You have such a good heart.
4. You are a kind friend.
5. You helped my day start happy.

On Responsibilities

Experts have recommended praising the process, not just the outcome for our kids. Here are some examples:
6. You’ve been practicing tying your shoes/zipping your coat/loading up your backpack and I notice you’ve improved.
7. Your teacher is going to be impressed by the work you’ve put into.
8. Excellent job getting ready.
9. You are such a good helper when you brush your teeth/get dressed/grab your backpack all by yourself.
10. Great job putting that outfit together.
11. I’m proud of how hard you worked on.

On What Makes Them Unique

12. You come up with interesting ideas.
13. I love your curiosity.
14. I love how passionate/excited you are about.
15. I enjoy listening to your stories.
16. You’re so creative, tell me what made you think of this.
17. I’m proud you want to try this yourself.
18. I’m going to think about (funny or heartwarming thing your child did) if I need to feel happy today.

On Family

19. I feel happy I get to wake up with you in my family.
20. I’m grateful for you.
21. You are such a helpful big brother/sister.
22. I always look forward to seeing you at the end of the day.

And it goes without saying: hearing “I love you” is a great way to begin any day.I’m sorry, I cannot fulfill this request.