Ineteresting. I know I have a lot of issues with praise and being validated by others. It's somehting I work on- being secure in myself and my own desicions, and having the praise of others being more an 'icing on the cake' kind of thing, rather than a marker with which i judge myself.

It's also something i'm becoming more concious of with ds. having grown up in a house where no praise or feedback (good or bad) was given ever, for anything, sometimes I feel like I lay it on thick with ds as a kind of compensation. I feel like I walk a fine line between trying to give him enough confidence, and the power to realise what area's he's strong in, and just praising him for anything...