Instead of being negative, make comments such as (for a child) “I really liked how you did that, I bet you will get it all correct next time” or “You’ve done a lot of work here, of good quality. Next time I’d suggest focusing more on X, Y and Z, just to ensure that the paper as a whole reads coherently. " You can still say what needs to be clarified and improved, it’s just the how you approach it that makes all the difference.
For example, you might like to notice people’s dress and grooming, such as saying: “I love the way you dress”, or “I love the way you comb your hair”.
If you do overstep the mark (and goodness, who hasn’t at some point?), apologize. This ensures that you do the right thing by the other person. You cannot make the other person forgive you or forget what you’ve done but you can always set things to right from your end and continue in a constructive and fair manner from that point on. Lesson learned. Move on.
