It may be socially acceptable to deflect praise, but our kids need us to accept compliments. Here’s why.
“Congratulations, it’s really great,” my friend said to me. We were at a book launch. I’d had my first ever piece of fiction published and I felt like a lifelong dream to be a writer was coming true. He was an established writer and his opinion mattered to me. I should have felt good, but I felt mortified. And instead of saying thanks, I squealed, “It’s terrible!”
It’s. Terrible. My friend looked at me, bemused, and moved on.
There are many reasons why most of us aren’t very good at taking compliments, ranging from the way our brains are wired, to how socially acceptable it is to deflect praise.
