Catch Them Being Good

Catching Them Being Good

The Hidden Power of Positive Praise

Scripts that build trust — before hard conversations begin.

When home starts to feel tense…

When motivation drops…

When every reminder turns into a row…

…it’s easy for communication to become focused on what’s going wrong.

But the moments that build influence with teenagers are often the ones that go unnoticed.

Created by a Principal Teacher of Pastoral Care with 29 years of experience supporting young people and their families, Catching Them Being Good gives you practical, ready-to-use language for recognising effort, progress, and resilience — even when things feel difficult.

Inside you’ll find:

✔ Simple scripts to acknowledge effort without sounding forced

✔ Language that strengthens connection and emotional safety

✔ Ways to reinforce independence without increasing pressure

✔ Praise that supports motivation rather than performance anxiety

✔ Approaches that build trust ahead of more challenging conversations

These are the everyday interactions that quietly shape:

• Confidence

• Engagement

• Willingness to try

• Openness to guidance

• Emotional regulation

This is not about empty praise or lowering expectations.

It’s about using the moments you already have — to keep the relationship strong enough to weather the ones you don’t.

Ideal for parents of teenagers navigating:

• Exam stress

• Anxiety or overwhelm

• Motivation dips

• Conflict around schoolwork

• Emotional shutdown