Have you ever heard about this?
It goes this way: before you criticize your child (or anybody for that matter), tell him or her some positive things about his or her work. After that, tell him or her the negative thing you have seen. But don’t forget to end everything up with a praise. In the end, the criticism was “sandwiched” by the positive points and words . That way, your child still feels like he or she has been appreciated and not really criticized.
For instance, if you see your little one’s coloring activity and it looks really terrible, you can say, “wow, you really have put in a lot of effort in there.” Then you can say, “it would be nicer if you do it slowly next time, then use your crayon this way (model it, with uniform strokes) and then end it up by saying how he or she has chosen very nice colors. Somehow within the picture you would find something that’s praise-worthy!
This is not only applicable in coloring activities. It could be applied to sports activities, crafts, even baking and cooking activities. Look for positive words! Encourage and inspire your child. You will never know what a lasting effect it will have on them.