Dubai: The Dubai Foundation for Women and Children (DFWAC) has taken part in a Ramadan panel discussion titled "Education with Praise and Encouragement" organized by Watani Al Emarat Foundation in cooperation with Al Khawaneej Majlis. Mrs. Amna Al Mutawa, the Psychological Services Manager at the Foundation, participated in the dialogue session aimed at promoting family awareness and strengthening familial bonds.
During the discussion, Al Mutawa addressed several key topics, including the importance of respecting children's personalities, addressing violence against children, and strategies for dealing with such issues.

She also discussed the detrimental effects of violence on children's development and emphasized the significance of establishing relationships built on trust and respect within families. The discussion aimed to enhance families’ awareness of effective educational methods to nurture conscious and engaged generations within society.
Al Mutawa outlined the principles of positive parenting, emphasizing the need to provide a safe environment devoid of risks and foster a positive learning atmosphere where children can develop social skills. She stressed the importance of being actively involved in children's learning and playtime and being available to answer their questions.
Furthermore, Al Mutawa shed light on affirmative discipline methods, which involve establishing clear behaviour guidelines, recognizing, and rewarding good behaviour, monitoring to ensure rules are followed, and avoiding verbal, moral, or physical punishment.
She also highlighted the need for setting realistic expectations regarding parenting, recognizing the importance of support networks for parents and educators, and encouraging them to seek guidance when needed.

In addition, she delved into the crucial role of praise in improving both mental and physical well-being, academic achievement, and mitigating the prevalence of mental health disorders like anxiety, stress, and depression, as well as behavioural issues.
Al Mutawa emphasized that a little bit of praise can nurture intelligence, enhance educational performance, foster self-worth and appreciation, bolster self-confidence, ignite motivation for learning and positive behaviors, and fortify immunity and resilience against illnesses. 

In her talk on "How to Praise Your Child," Al Mutawa highlighted the magic of parents regularly expressing their love and appreciation for their kids. She suggested using uplifting words and not shying away from celebrating their kids’ traits, like when they chip in around the house or even their sense of style in picking out their outfits—all of which can boost a kid’s self-esteem.

She reaffirmed that it's important to praise kids for who they are, including their appearance, personalities, cheering them on even when they don’t hit their goals, and appreciating their choices in friendships.

Al Mutawa encouraged families to get creative and bond through fun and thoughtful activities. This could be something as simple as jotting down sweet nothings a husband would love to hear from his family or crafting heartfelt compliments for the wife, parents, siblings, and kids to bring everyone closer.

She recommended asking kids about the compliments that warm their hearts the most, a move that’s sure to knit the family tighter and make everyone feel valued.