When genuine compliments are received, it makes the soul feel full of happiness. When they are from complete strangers, it can lift the spirits for the rest of the day, regardless of how miserable things were before the compliment was received. And the best part of compliments is that those who give them feel just as good at passing out kind words. Something that kids see and learn when their moms compliment others.
According to NBC News, compliments help people to "communicate the appreciation" felt from one person to another. It causes the brain to react in the same way as it would when receiving a bonus from work or receiving a "monetary award," per the publication. As such, it is easy to see why when people start to give compliments, it can be addicting. And with compliments being a win-win for all involved, it truly is not a bad addiction to have.
Here is what kids really see and learn when mom compliments others.
Kids See Compliments Make Others Happy
As moms give compliments to others, kids see that compliments make others happy. By seeing this, kids will want to follow suit and make others they encounter happy as well.
According to Leiden Psychology Blog, when people are given compliments, they want to do better. That could correlate to working on a skill or being better for people in their lives. This is because when a compliment is given, any pretenses people put up are automatically dropped. And when this happens, real conversations can result.
Compliments give a boost to the brain that activates the rewards area. As such, people receiving compliments feel instantly happier, lighter on their feet, and more likely to pass along a compliment to someone else. Something that kids may be around to see if the person their mothers gave a compliment to is in the area for any period of time.
Giving Compliments Makes Moms Feel Good
When mothers go out of their way, kids may notice that they are in a better mood for having done so. Something that will trigger in kids that the more complimentary a person is, the happier a person they are.
According to Psychology Today, when people give out compliments, they are happier. As this happiness consistently occurs when giving compliments, there is a higher incident rate of those who dolled out compliments doing it time and again. More so than for those who thought about giving a compliment but did not.
Therefore, to give kids a mom who is in a joyous mood a large portion of the time, pass out genuine compliments and make someone's day.
Giving Compliments Does Not Take Anything Away From Those Giving Them
Giving compliments does not cost a thing. That includes taking away the spotlight from those who are giving them. And when kids see that those giving compliments lose nothing, while the receivers give so much, they will be more likely to give them themselves.
According to Medium.com, compliments not only do not take anything away from people but give back to all involved instead. This is from the boost of confidence that the receiver of the compliment gets as well as the more positive mindset the giver is privy to as well.
But what may be best of all is that once a compliment is given, it becomes the gift that keeps on giving, per the publication. Once a person gets a compliment, they are likely to pay it forward. And the more people that receive and give compliments, the better people feel. Making for a better outlook on life all as a result of a few kind words.
Source: NBC News, Leiden Psychology Blog, Psychology Today, Medium.com