By Tom Ashbrook.

Eighty-five percent of American parents believe it’s important to tell their kids they’re smart. And 85 percent of American parents may be wrong.

In recent years, the self-esteem movement born in the 1960s has run into some serious opposition when it comes to scholars who think about raising kids.

You think telling young sons and daughters they’re brilliant, wondrous, smart, smart, smart is a gift? Maybe not. Newer research suggests that encouraging kids to strive, to try, to grow is the way to really fire up their engines. That a shower of praise can be paralyzing.

This hour On Point: kids, self-esteem, and the caution not to praise too much.

Guests:

Po Bronson, writer, social documentarian and author of numerous articles, novels and non-fiction works including What Should I Do With My Life? His latest piece is the cover story of New York Magazine: How Not to Talk to Your Kids: The Inverse Power of Praise

Carol Dweck, Professor of Psychology at Stanford, and author of Mindset

Bob Younglove, Vice President of the National Association for Self-Esteem.