Principal Jindraike:
you may be under the impression that I encourage horseplay and malarkey, you're wrong, I don't encourage it, I excourage it.Max:
Excourage, sir?Principal Jindraike:
It means the opposite of encourage, look it up.Max Keeble's Big Move
I'm in agreement with Principal Jindraike on horseplay and malarkey, but there is a greater need for encouragement than excouragement.
You should look for every opportunity to encourage your spouse and children. To help you I have four times that it is essential to offer words of encouragement:
1. Discouraged
For the discouraged words of encouragement is exactly what is needed. Like putting out a fire encouragement squelches discouragement. It is the most obvious time in which you will be able to identify the need of offering comfort.
Being discouraged is closely related to feelings of disappointment, sadness, even depression. The earlier you can encourage someone that is discouraged the better. If you to are feeling discouraged it may take some effort to step up to the challenge, but when you encourage others you to will be uplifted.
Oh! For Principal Jindraike the word you are looking for is discourage not excourage.
2. Frustrated
Frustration comes for all sorts of reasons, but when a child is trying to learn something new it isn't uncommon for them to get a little frustrated. Give them some encouragement and even use personal examples of when you were trying to learn something new. It takes work to learn things.
Frustration can also happen within relationships and when you address those frustration with words of encouragement you can often avoid conflict. Teach everyone to encourage each other. Making the whole house more pleasant.
3. Reproof
This one may seem a little odd, but is very important. A child needs to know that they are loved, but their behavior was not acceptable. Take the time, maybe not immediately, to talk about the situation. Offer encouragement to have appropriate behavior and be done with it.
4. Accomplishment
Finally give encouragement after accomplishments. In fact, I would say that you should encourage others at about a 2 to 1 ratio on accomplishments. That may seem counter-intuitive, but by encouraging others after they have had an accomplishment in reinforces the drive to continue to achieve goals. It also shows acknowledgment of a job well done.
When we encourage others for their accomplishment it also gives you perspective. You begin to see the positives more than the negatives.
So give someone encouragement today!