By Renee Jain 

Article Courtesy of www.gostrengths.com 

"You're so smart!"

"You're so creative!"

"You're so... [insert convenient, but possibly damaging description here]"

The other day during a frantic scramble to get my 1-year-old to music class, I watched her perform her latest trick - slipping into her little gym shoes and tightening the Velcro straps all by herself. She then stared at me as I sloppily filled the stroller with diapers, toys, string cheese and other random items until I rattled off something like, "Good job, Jasmin. You're so smart." She flashed all eight of her teeth at me. As I started to put my own shoes on, Jasmin proceeded to rip hers off. "Jas, put your shoes back on; we need to go!" I said. She proficiently slid them back on and looked up again. "OK, let's go!" I pleaded, to which she replied "Ehhhhhhhh!" (Translation: "That's not what I want!")

Because I was in no mood for this debate, I cheered, "Good job, my little smarty pants!" For good measure, I clapped. She clapped, too. Great, I thought, now we can go. But instead, she took her shoes off again. We ended up missing half the class. Worse yet, I had created a praise junkie. Even at this young age, my daughter craved to be rewarded for her feat. I kicked myself because, as an emotional intelligence teacher, I should know better.

Our child performs; we praise - often without thought. What's the harm, right? After all, it's just a quick verbal pat on the back. But here's the harm: Praise often motivates children... to receive more praise. And when praise labels a child (e.g., "I am smart"), it's easy to focus on looking good instead of learning. In fact, this focus on looking good can become so intense that it encumbers kids from taking simple chances such as raising their hands in class. In short, telling kids they are "smart" can make them act the opposite. So how should we praise our kids to build an effective motivational framework?  

Check out three research-based strategies below:

Family Bonding Outdoors!

Since so many kids and families tend to have a lack of exercise added in their lives, hiking is a great way to stay in shape, as well as doing some family bonding!

McKenzie River Trail hike is 26 miles long, but there is a portion of it that is around four miles long and leads directly to the Tamolitch Pool, also known as Blue Pool. If you want to, you could even go for a swim in the ice cold water!

Ten Falls Canyon Trail is a ten mile long trail that takes you past TEN waterfalls, ranging from 27 feet to 178 feet, 4 of which you can walk behind. There are plenty of benches throughout the trail to rest on, and when you are finished, you can stop for some coffee and food at the café and gift shop in the parking lot!

Drift Creek Trail winds through the Siuslaw National Forest. From a 240 foot long suspension bridge, it offers you an above view from the Drift Creek Falls, a 65-foot freefall waterfall that's located beneath the bridge.

By Eileen Garvin

Article Courtesy of TravelOregon.com

At the opening of the book "Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail," Cheryl Strayed writes, "The Pacific Crest Trail wasn't a world to me then. It was an idea, vague and outlandish, full of promise and mystery." Luckily you don't have to hike all 2,663 miles of the PCT from Mexico to Canada to find that promise and mystery. In Oregon, the Pacific Crest Trail passes natural wonders like Crater Lake, the Three Sisters Mountains and Mt. Hood before ending in the town of Cascade Locks at the Bridge of the Gods. Get a taste of the Oregon portion of the PCT this summer with a day hike.

Paradise Parkand back. 

Crater Lake:Thirty-three miles of the PCT pass through the backcountry of Crater Lake National Park. An alternate trail from Rim Village takes hikers to the dramatic rim of the caldera and follows it for 6 miles on the east side of the lake.

Save the date: Don't miss the annual Pacific Crest Trail Days