"Good job" is the reflex phrase of modern parenting and teaching. It is not damaging. It is just close to empty, and there are better options available for the same effort.
What is wrong with it
It is not specific. A child does not learn what they did well, so they cannot repeat it deliberately.
It evaluates rather than describes. It positions the adult as judge, and over time a child works for the verdict rather than the thing.
Used constantly, it stops registering. A phrase said forty times a day carries no information.
It can shift motivation outward. A child who paints for the response starts painting less when nobody responds.
Better moves
Describe what you see. "You used three different blues, and this part is really thick." No judgement, and it demonstrates that you actually looked. This is the highest-value change and it takes no more time.
Name the effort or the strategy. "You kept going even when it fell over twice." "You made the bottom wider — that worked." Praise for effort and approach is far more durable than praise for outcome or ability.
Notice the hard thing, not the easy thing. "You waited for your turn even though you really wanted it" tells a child which behaviour mattered.
Ask about it. "How did you get it to stand up?" is often better than any compliment, because it invites the child to articulate their own thinking.
Let the achievement speak. Sometimes the most respectful response to a child who has done something difficult is "you did it" — and then leaving them to their satisfaction.
What not to overdo
Praise for ability. "You're so clever" tends to make a child avoid tasks where they might not look clever. "You worked that out" does not.
Praise for compliance. "Good boy for sitting nicely" trains agreeableness, which is not the same as the internal regulation we are actually after.
Being realistic
You will still say "good job" several times today, and nothing bad will happen. The aim is not to eliminate it but to make sure it is not the only thing you say.
If you replace one "good job" a day with a specific observation, that is the whole change.
