In my parenting, I have made a conscious effort to remove the phrase ‘good job’ from my list of stock responses.
I am proud of my children and their efforts and I want them to feel good about themselves. I believe this comes not from praise but from encouraging their own reflection on their work. This is a great list of 10 questions for this kind of conversation. (Easy opener: “What can you tell me about your picture?”) Depending on the age and stage of development of your child, you may ask just one question or have a lengthy conversation that includes them all!