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Ways to describe children


A Giant List of Adjectives to Describe Kids

ByLauren @ Simply-Well-Balanced

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Words are powerful. This is especially true when you consider the words that you choose to describe your child – or children you work with. Today we are sharing a huge list of adjectives about kids to increase self-confidence and esteem in children.

Adjectives About Kids: Using the Power of Words to Increase Confidence

What's Inside:

As a teacher and parent, I know first hand how true that quote is.

I have seen behaviors, attitudes and self-esteem completely transformed in my classroom just by carefully choosing words to describe kids in a positive light. 

You see, if a child repeatedly hears someone describe them using positive words, eventually they start to believe what they are hearing.

Because I have seen how powerful words can be, I have become more intentional with the words I use to describe the behavior, actions and personalities of my own children – and I encourage you to do the same.

Adjectives are describing words and you can pretty much guarantee that the words kids grow up hearing are the same words they will end up using to describe themselves as adults. 

How to Use Adjectives to Describe Kids

Adjectives about kids can be used in a variety of ways:

  • As a parent trying to improve the self-esteem of your own child.
  • As a teacher looking for descriptions to include in report cards or progress reports.
  • As a coach or counselor trying to find words to describe the positive personality traits you see in the kids you’re working with. 

No matter why you are looking for adjectives to describe children, it’s helpful to understand why being as specific as possible is very important.

Oftentimes we get in the habit of using the same generic phrases like “cute” or “smart” on repeat. 

When children hear these same terms repeated over and over they actually become meaningless.

Here are some tips on using adjectives to describe kids:

  • Use phrases that are as unique and individualized as possible.
  • Avoid focusing on appearance for compliments. You don’t want a child’s self-worth to be connected to the way they look.
  • Consider characteristics that set them apart from others.
  • Try to rephrase challenging aspects of their personality in a positive way that highlights how they can use them as strengths (ie instead of stubborn, describe them as determined).
  • Use these words and phrases in everyday conversation so they frequently hear themselves being described using positive words.
  • Write the words on post-it notes and leave them for your child to find in their room, on the bathroom mirror or inside their favorite book.
  • Utilize them as part of a daily affirmation routine.
  • Be genuine – kids can tell when you’re not being authentic. Be sure that the words you use accurately describe your child and how you feel about them – even if it’s just some of the time.
  • Have your child (or students) choose words from this list of adjectives for describing kids to make a poster or collage about themselves.

When used consistently these words will become a natural part of your daily routine and your child will become accustomed to hearing themselves in a positive light every day.

Now let’s get on to the list!

150 Positive Adjectives About Kids

Adjectives to Describe a Child’s Strengths

  • Determined
  • Motivated
  • Positive
  • Trustworthy
  • Artistic
  • Brave 
  • Creative
  • Diligent
  • Friendly
  • Forgiving
  • Imaginative
  • Inventive
  • Motivated
  • Observant
  • Persistent
  • Reliable
  • Resourceful
  • Understanding
  • Unique
  • Hard-working
  • Involved
  • Self-starting
  • Flexible
  • Organized
  • Structured
  • Efficient
  • Adaptable
  • Articulate
  • Clever
  • Persistent
  • Leader
  • Self-reliant
  • Detail oriented
  • Tough
  • Open-minded
  • Industrious
  • Tenacious
  • Communicative
  • Talented
  • Skilled
  • Willing to try
  • Knowledgeable
  • Confident
  • Ambitious
  • Authentic
  • Original
  • Enterprising
  • Fierce
  • Gifted
  • Believable
  • Meticulous

Adjectives to Describe a Kid’s Personality

  • Compassionate
  • Loyal
  • Adventurous
  • Charming
  • Faithful
  • Cautious
  • Polite
  • Magnetic
  • Dynamic
  • Nurturing
  • Cheerful
  • Practical
  • Selective
  • Enchanting
  • Selective
  • Logical
  • Endearing
  • Understanding
  • Entertaining
  • Sensitive
  • Aware
  • Tolerant
  • Spontaneous
  • Charismatic
  • Attentive
  • Opinionated
  • Courageous
  • Approachable
  • Affectionate
  • Easy-going
  • Accepting
  • Effervescent
  • Funny
  • Honest
  • Reflective
  • Hopeful
  • Methodical
  • Inquisitive
  • Talkative
  • Devoted
  • Steadfast
  • Patient
  • Contemplative
  • Insightful
  • Joyful
  • Loving
  • Optimistic
  • Passionate
  • Mindful
  • Aware
  • Calm
  • Resilient
  • Self-Confident
  • Witty
  • Independent
  • Hilarious
  • Philosophical
  • Logical
  • Realistic
  • Unconventional
  • Delightful
  • Modest

Words to Describe A Child’s Behavior

  • Consistent
  • Responsible
  • Kind
  • Daring
  • Considerate 
  • Energetic
  • Fearless
  • Generous
  • Gentle
  • Courteous
  • Helpful
  • Playful
  • Fiery
  • Social
  • Spirited
  • Zestful
  • Thoughtful
  • Confident
  • Cooperative
  • Spunky
  • Reserved
  • Exuberant
  • Expressive
  • Supportive
  • Animated
  • Focused
  • Expressive
  • Eager
  • Intense
  • Assertive
  • Respectful
  • Bold
  • Gutsy

Conclusion

Overtime, your child will begin to integrate the words they hear you use to describe them into their own sense of self worth. Those words and phrases will become a part of their identity and form a foundation of self-confidence and strength.

Lauren @ Simply-Well-Balanced

Hi, I'm Lauren Tingley; a working, teacher-mom of two who tried to "do it all" and ended up losing myself in the process. Determined to find joy in modern motherhood I discovered simplifying was the answer. Now I share tips for fun family activities, minimalist homemaking and simple parenting advice on Simply Well Balanced for families looking to create more balance in their homes. My ideas and advice has been shared by Parents Magazine, Good Housekeeping and Women's First.Read more about me! Or follow me on Pinterest or Instagram

100+ Positive Adjectives to Describe a Child - With Free Printable Poster!

Today I’m sharing a list of 100+ positive adjectives to describe a child with a free printable poster of positive adjectives. I hope you enjoy and find it helpful!

You won’t find phrases like “well behaved” or adjectives like cute, handsome, or intelligent in this list. They’re all unique, positive ways to describe a child’s personality. The free printable poster has a cheerful rainbow background and is perfect for classrooms or home use.

Have you ever noticed that the qualities we claim to value in adults are the same things we try to discourage in children?

We praise children for being quiet, coloring inside the lines, and standing still. Then we say we value innovation, determination, and authenticity.

We also tend to praise children’s appearance constantly but don’t really mention their personalities and actions in positive ways. This list of positive adjectives to call a child will help you change that!

This post may include affiliate links, which means I may make a commission on purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. 

Table of Contents

How to describe a child

Hearing the words people use to describe my child has made me very aware of the adjectives I use to describe her.  Their descriptions have made me really stop and think about the messages our word choices unintentionally send our children.

Frequently we use kind of milk-toast adjectives like “great,” focus on physical characteristics (“cute” or “pretty”), or praise a child for being so “smart.”

There are a couple problems with always praising a child’s appearance or constantly calling them “good” or “smart.”

For one, girls are already bombarded with messages from society that their appearance matters, maybe more than anything else about them.

Although no one means harm when they tell their daughter how cute she is or that she has a nice outfit, it helps reinforce the idea that how they look is more important then who they are. This can cause a lot of problems and confidence issues down the line!

Virtually everyone who talks to us when we’re out tells us how pretty, beautiful, or cute our LG is. They tell us how my husband is going to jealously guard her from would-be boyfriends. Muñeca (doll) and princesa are favorite adjectives from our Miami family.

A few people do comment on how observant she is, but typically only after they’ve called her cute half a dozen times.

Related read: Printable gratitude journal for kids

I know it’s super hard not to call your little one cute all the time. I’ve tried since day 1 to say other things to LG, but “cute” still slips out frequently because she is cute! But I consciously try to mention her other attributes, like her strength and determination, whenever possible.

Constantly praising a child’s intelligence can also backfire. Although it’s obviously fine to mention their smarts in moderation, a child may become afraid of doing anything that might make them look “stupid” if they’ve tied their identity to being “smart.”

This kind of thinking can lead “talented” students to take less challenging classes and tasks because they’ve tied their identity to being a “good student” and are afraid of making less than straight A’s (If you’re a new reader – I have a Masters in Teaching and this is a topic we studied in developmental psychology and educational theory classes. It’s fascinating stuff!)

It’s also really important to read the research on how praise can backfire in the long run. Read Conditional Parenting – it’s a game changer.

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Unconditional Parenting: Moving from Rewards and Punishments to Love and...

  • Raising Kids
  • Kohn, Alfie (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)

By using more diverse adjectives to describe your child and mentioning their personality traits more than their appearance, you can help your child develop a more healthy and wholistic self-image and greater confidence!

How to use this list of positive adjectives

These adjectives are great for introducing new words to your child. Some of them are more advanced than others, which makes them the perfect way to introduce new words.

They’re also useful for expanding your own repertoire of complements and descriptions.

Additionally, you can use these adjectives if your child has a school assignment to come up with a list of words to describe themselves.

Challenge your children to describe themselves and others in new, different ways each day of the week! See if you can all go an entire week without simply describing someone as nice, pretty, or great.

Make sure to grab the free printable poster (at the bottom of the post) with all 100+ positive adjectives so you can post it in your home or classroom for reference! 

Pin this list of positive adjectives now so you don’t lose track of the post!

100+ positive adjectives to describe a child

 

  • Adaptable
  • Adventurous
  • Affectionate
  • Alert
  • Ambitious
  • Amiable
  • Astute
  • Attentive
  • Authentic
  • Aware
  • Awesome
  • Bold
  • Brave
  • Calm
  • Capable
  • Caring
  • Compassionate
  • Confident
  • Considerate
  • Consistant
  • Courageous
  • Courteous
  • Curious
  • Decisive
  • Dependable
  • Determined
  • Dexterous
  • Diligent
  • Diplomatic
  • Dynamic
  • Earnest
  • Encouraging
  • Energetic
  • Engaging
  • Enthusiastic
  • Fair
  • Fearless
  • Flexible
  • Focused
  • Forgiving
  • Forthright
  • Free-spirited
  • Friendly
  • Fun
  • Fun-loving
  • Generous
  • Gentle
  • Genuine
  • Giving
  • Graceful
  • Gracious
  • Happy
  • Hardworking
  • Honest
  • Hopeful
  • Humble
  • Humorous
  • Idealistic
  • Imaginative
  • Innovative
  • Insightful
  • Intuitive
  • Inventive
  • Joyful
  • Just
  • Kind
  • Lively
  • Loving
  • Loyal
  • Merry
  • Motivated
  • Motivational
  • Nurturing
  • Observant
  • Open
  • Open-hearted
  • Open-minded
  • Optimistic
  • Organized
  • Outgoing
  • Patient
  • Persistent
  • Playful
  • Positive
  • Precise
  • Punctual
  • Purposeful
  • Quick-witted
  • Radiant
  • Realistic
  • Reflective
  • Reliable
  • Resourceful
  • Sincere
  • Sociable
  • Social
  • Strong
  • Sympathetic
  • Trusting
  • Trustworthy
  • Upbeat
  • Vivacious
  • Warm
  • Welcoming
  • Wise
  • Zany

Free printable poster of positive adjectives

Here’s a preview of the printable poster of positive adjectives! (The image is just a low-res preview, not the printable PDF)

If you’d like to reference this list of positive adjectives to describe a child, make sure to grab the free printable!

Download your printable poster of 100 positive adjectives here

This poster of positive adjectives matches a set of the growth mindset poster printables I shared recently. Make sure to stop by and grab your free printable growth mindset posters, too.

More positive parenting resources

You can’t pour from an empty cup. These free self-care ideas for moms can help you be the positive parent you want to be! There are also some free printable affirmation cards to help you out.

Do you want to encourage your toddler’s desire to practice gross motor skills? These indoor gross motor toys for toddlers are the best!

Do you have any additional positive adjectives you’d like to see added to the list?

Types of rewards and their importance in the development of the child

“What a pain it is to educate [these children]!” Freken Bock suffered in the cartoon "The Kid and Carlson". And scolding is constantly wrong, and it's scary to overpraise! Expert "Oh!" and child psychologist Anna Skavitina will tell you what types of rewards can be, as well as how and why to praise a child.

Anna Skavitina, psychologist, analyst, member of the IAAP (International Association of Analytical Psychology), supervisor of the ROAP and the Jung Institute (Zurich), expert of the Psychology journal

Imagine that your boss offers you a few extra vacation days or a bonus if you complete an urgent project quickly and efficiently. Will you work more efficiently from this? Most likely. And if the boss says that he will fire you if the project is not ready on time? Most likely, you will also try to work efficiently, but you will be driven by fear, not the expectation of pleasure, which is why your efficiency will be lower than in the first case. If the fear is too strong, then the brain may be paralyzed by the expectation of punishment and will begin to think not about how to do the project, but about how to avoid the consequences. The result will be unpredictable, and this is taking into account the fact that we are adults and seem to be able to control ourselves.

For children under 10 years of age, negative regulation does not work in the way that many parents and teachers assume. “If you don’t do it, I won’t give it, I won’t let it in, I’ll take it, I’ll put a deuce” - all this causes stress and anxiety in the child, as a result, the brain turns off the “fuse” so as not to overheat, and cares about survival, and not about what would it be interesting to learn.

You must have heard that the red pen method, or permanent fix, does not work, but the green pen method of supporting the right actions works?

What to do? Offer permanent bonuses, praise and always support in everything? Yes and no. Alas, not everything is so simple. Parents who constantly tell their children that they are amazing, gorgeous, unique, the most beautiful in the world, the smartest and most dexterous, believe that they support the child's self-esteem and give him a ticket to a happy life. In this way, they demonstrate unconditional love for the child and for any manifestation of it.

Constant, excessive praise for every action can lead to the fact that the child will perceive it as a background, and if one day the approving text does not sound, he will begin to listen anxiously and look around: “Where is my reinforcement? Did I do the right thing? Mom, do you even love me?"

Children who are constantly praised often feel valued and at the same time devalued. How it is? “If all my results are noticed, then I am constantly evaluated, I am under constant control. If I am always praised, then it doesn’t matter what I do.” By the way, exactly the same thing happens if the child is almost constantly scolded and made comments.

“If I am the best, most beautiful and unique, then what about the rest? They are worse than me, and therefore they are worthy to communicate with me only in the positions of vassals. And if these children claim leadership positions, or at least equality, it is dangerous, because they will want to throw me off the symbolic throne and tear off the crown, so I will not be friends with them. And as a result, difficulties in relationships with peers.

“If I am the best and smartest, then I don’t need to strive anywhere and learn anything: I got brains from nature! And if suddenly someone becomes socially more successful than me?..” This can cause envy, but will not give an understanding of what needs to be done to achieve what you want.

Of course, the intentions of parents who praise their children are the most positive! They probably even remember how they themselves painfully experienced situations in childhood when they were scolded and not supported, and they are ready to compensate for this through their child. Moreover, if there are many mothers, fathers and grandmothers in the environment, constantly praising their children, one can feel social pressure: “Why am I and my child worse than others? Why don't I praise him all the time?"

Let's discuss ways to encourage children that will definitely help them trust themselves and the world more and will promote independence, initiative and social success of children.

What types of incentives can there be?

  • Supportive words.
  • A smile and an attentive look when you approve of the child's actions.
  • Hugs and kisses if your child doesn't mind.
  • The time you spend the way your child wants.
    Try to create a wishlist: a list of wishes, different things, events that he wanted to do someday himself or participate with his family, arrange it in the form of cards, attach it, for example, to a refrigerator, and choose “prizes”. When parents have the opportunity and desire to encourage their child, they can choose from this list.
  • A surprise showing that you noticed the child's efforts and now want to show it to him. It is important that the surprise is in accordance with his desires, and not what seems useful to parents. For some, it will be a trip to a video club with new games, for others it will be a trip to friends with an overnight stay.

Any encouragement is a manifestation of your love and creating an atmosphere of trust and development for your child.

“From the point of view of behavioral neurophysiology, the environment of development and education can be described as follows: support for attachment, understanding of personal meaning (why me), creating a habit and trust <…> and I already wrote about love,” notes Peter Whybrow in the book "The Brain: Fine Tuning".

Not only the amount of praise and encouragement is important, but their quality and the meanings that adults lay down. Girls run the risk of attaching too much importance to their beauty if others praise it: they begin to think that they should be beautiful, and not study and work, and this is the main path to happiness and success.

For boys, such a bias can happen when they are praised for their strength: “If you eat a lot of porridge, you will become strong and defeat everyone!” And they understand that the main thing is to eat porridge, defeat everyone, and not work with your head.

Encouragement and praise are ways to convey family and cultural values ​​to a child that you share.

How and why to praise a child?

Notice and recognize the efforts of your children

efforts need to be noticed and supported. For example : "It's so great that you spend a lot of time learning this!"

If the action is given to him without difficulty and effort, you can rejoice with him: “I see that you like it,” but it’s not worth saying that he’s done well: the child may feel like an impostor.

Reward for the process, not only or not so much for the result

For example : "You seriously prepared for this test, solved many problems, more than last time, and the result was worthy."

Name the specific action that led to the desired result

For example , instead of: "You are a good, obedient boy" it is better to say: "You were so busy playing Lego, you played by yourself in your room, and I was able to cook a delicious dinner ".

It is better to motivate with the joy of the result than with money or buying sweets result.

It is a good idea to celebrate a major achievement or the end of a long process of work: performing at a concert, winning a sports team, better scorecards than in the last quarter/trimester in the way the child himself wants, for example, by buying what he wants or having a family dinner. Thus, you celebrate his invested efforts and perseverance.

Encourage trying new things

Experiments are alive! Even if nothing worked out right away, trying something new is not only interesting, but also overcoming oneself and a new experience.

Reward sincerely

Children feel false, and if you regularly praise them with pretense, they stop understanding where they are really good and you need to continue to act in the same spirit, and where “parents always say that, but it doesn’t mean anything” .

Support all independent attempts, even if they are not very successful

They will not try, they will not learn. For example : “You baked cookies, so cool! Yes, it got burnt today, but this is the first attempt. What do you think, what can be done next time so as not to miss him?.. Can we have tea with him?”

Encourage children as they work, not just when they're done

For example : “Wow, you're doing this project, you put so much effort into it. You can be proud of yourself, you were so stubborn!”

Focus on the children's feelings

It's important to hear not "I'm proud of you!" but "You can be proud of yourself!" And then you can add about the joy of parents.

Children are not our direct extension, and their successes and failures are not our successes and failures. Children want to be seen in them for their personality, their efforts, and not to emphasize "how much mom has done for you."

Always take care of yourself in your child

Everything is good in moderation. For example : “You worked so hard, maybe go for a walk, meet friends, ride a scooter?”

Of course, words of support and praise at the right time and in the right place are not the same as love for a child and the joy of having him in your life. You may have different opinions, you may like completely different things, but you teach him and learn to be together with another person different from you, respect his opinion, his space, love him so dear and a separate person at the same time.

Read also:

How to properly praise your child

How to stop comparing your child with others

Paying your child for good grades is a bad idea, and that's why

Photo: Ermolaev Fizmonkes, Ilike Alexander, fizmonkes, Ilike, fizmonkes /Shutterstock. com

psychologypsychological adviceeducation

Parenting methods: 7 steps to an obedient child

Moms and dads receive advice on raising children all the time, it's a pity that only a small part of them is truly valuable. Useful advice is most often obtained from parents with extensive experience, such as the writer Helen Andelin, who raised 8 children and is raising three dozen grandchildren. Today "Oh!" publishes an excerpt from her book called “All About Children. Secrets of parenting from a mother of 8 children and a grandmother of 33 grandchildren, in which Helen tells how to raise an obedient child.

A method that will teach children to be obedient, responsible and have good manners must be adapted to the child's age, upbringing and temperament. This method is discussed in the following three chapters, and its description is given here.

Step 1: Tell the child what you expect from him

If you expect a certain behavior from a person, first tell him about your expectations so that he understands. To do this, first get his attention. Make sure he listens to you and nothing distracts him. Then explain clearly and in detail what you want from him. Be kind, not rude or impatient. If you doubt that he understood everything, ask him a few questions or ask him to repeat the instructions. Do not expect too much from a child, do not demand what is beyond his strength or ability. Once you have given instructions, do not go back to them again and again.

You don't have to say, "Johnny, go put your toys away" every minute. Otherwise, the child will soon realize that he does not have to obey the first and even the second order, and your endless instructions will sound like annoying grumbling to him. You only need to repeat the instructions when it seems to you that the child did not hear you or did not understand. When giving instructions to a child, count on a positive result. Expect him to listen to you. Don't say: "If you don't do it now..." With this negative phrase, you yourself offer him an alternative.

A child will be obedient if parents expect a good deed from him, and not prepare for the worst. Use step 1 for special occasions, such as when you are giving your child a direction, assigning them work, or correcting their behavior. Also apply the first step to teaching and education in general. Explain to your child what kind of behavior you expect from him in life. The family evening described in chapter 2 is perfect for such explanations.0060

Once the child has been told what is expected of him, he should be allowed to act independently and choose for himself between good and bad behavior. A child will learn only when he is given freedom.

Step 3: Observe his behavior

Observe the child to see if he is following instructions. Small children need to be supervised every minute. It is enough just to look at older children. The main thing is not to forget about them and what you expect from them.

Step 4: Rate his behavior

Rate him against the following criteria. Did the child follow your instructions? Did he deserve an award? If he failed, maybe he did not understand what was expected of him? Or did he understand everything and tried to do it right, but could not because of forgetfulness, inaccuracy, mistake or accident? Was it someone else's fault? Listen to his side of the story, but don't take everything for granted. A delinquent child, out of fear of punishment, will easily shift all the blame onto someone else. And the last question: did the child really fully understand what was expected of him, and did he deliberately disobey? Parents need to be fair and far-sighted. Do not forget to take into account the child's age, upbringing, abilities and deep intentions.

Step 5: Take Action

If the child obeys you, give him the reward he deserves. If he made a stupid mistake, do not punish him, but teach him again. If he deliberately disobeyed, reprimand him or punish him fairly. We will explain how to do this later in this chapter. Then give the child instructions again.

Step 6: After punishment

After punishment, especially severe punishment, show your child that you love and appreciate him. Parental punishment can greatly upset a child and bring him to tears. He will feel for a while that you abandoned him or fell out of love with him. Patiently convince him that you are his friend and not his enemy.

Step 7: Repeat the training

If the child did not cope with what you expected from him, go through all the steps of the training with him again, but this time let's teach more strictly and carefully. The child may have to be warned about the punishment that awaits him if he disobeys. After evaluating his behavior, next time you can expect more from him. If the child continues to misbehave, repeat the training again. Go through all the above steps again, only each time be more serious and demand more. The punishment can be increased or changed each time. Repeat the training as many times as necessary until the child learns to be responsible for his behavior in this case. Then you can let him act on his own.

If you repeated the training several times, but nothing worked out for you, go back to the basics described in the first part of the book.
Satisfy the needs of the child, give him love, build a strong relationship with him. For effective education, a solid foundation must be laid.

In what situation is it better to bring up

Children are brought up in the following situations:

  1. Even before the child even had time to think about disobedience;

  2. When he is just about to get naughty;

  3. After he messed up.

Your actions in all of these situations will be beneficial for the child, but children respond best to the first, especially those who are older. The exception is small children who are just learning to walk. They perceive the second situation better.

Mistakes parents make

The most common mistake parents make is skipping step 1. They don't tell their child what they want from them, but instead expect bad behavior from them. Then they get angry, criticize or severely punish the child. The child may not even know that he is doing something bad until he suddenly receives a slap in the face. He doesn't understand how to behave. This method will also teach the child to obey, but obedience will be based on fear. Be sure - when he grows up and feels freer, he will begin to do whatever he wants.

Another mistake is not giving the child enough freedom. A parent can command a child not to touch something, and then literally block his way, preventing him from doing it. Or a parent gives an older child some task, and then stands over his soul, watching whether he obeys. Sometimes a child is forced to obey. But children should have a choice - this is the only way education goes.

Another common mistake is not to follow the child's behavior at all. The parent gives the child instructions and forgets about it or is distracted by something else.

Learn more