Empty Praise

Children today hear so much praise, but too much general praise is not necessarily good for them.  Rather than shower them with hollow priase every time they do something, observe what they do and point out the particular things that impress you.  So rather than "that's a brilliant painting!" every time they splash some paint on a page, notice particular elements of the picture and show that you are really looking closely.  "I like that big yellow sun and the tree."  This shows them that you appreciate what they've done, rather than just winning some meaningless praise.  So, notice what they specifically do, "You slid down that slide and landed safely on both feet!", rather than "Well done - that was a great slide!"

That said, praise where you think it is deserved.  If your little one bristles with pride then that's great.  Just don't over do it!  To be honest, praise is a great parenting tool and its's an easy - and free - way of enforcing good behaviour in children.