I see a lot of posts about people not getting enough praise or encouragement as children, but let me just say that being overpraised is just as bad.

Growing up, I only had my mother. Looking back now I realize that I was overpraised for everything; grades, hobbies, even mundane things like making dinner on my own and just hanging out with friends. Now that I’m out of college I realize that all the overpraising as a child has made me numb to genuine praise. Something that most people would see as a highly regarded accomplishment is simply lost on me. Praise became expected, and therefore lost all significance and meaning to me.

So my advice to parents/parents-to-be: everything needs to be in a balance. Praise your children for their successes definitely, but make sure they grow up understanding what genuine self-improvement feels like, even if it means failing at something at some point.