Why does my child get angry when I praise them?
Praise can feel overwhelming and embarrassing for children, turning them into the unwanted center of attention. This discomfort can cause kids to react with anger, withdrawal, or frustration when parents offer verbal encouragement or narrate their good behavior.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Simplifying praise into a short statement like 'Great job sharing!'
- 2Narrating less and letting the child feel less observed
- 3Playing it cool with a casual 'that was nice' or saying nothing at all
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Well, he got pissed, flipped me the bird, and when I asked why he said "You laughed at me" which definitely didnt happen.”source ↗
“i remember being around that age (and up to about 13) and i just wanted to be left alone, the praise can feel overwhelming to react to, almost embarrassing being the point of attention.”source ↗
Where this came up
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