Giving Positive Feedback is an important skills to have. I think that if we can give our children during the day positive feedback about things they do, without over doing it, it will give them confidence. Rewarding the behaviour we want to see more of helps to get "rid" of the behaviour we want to see less of.
Make an effort to see those little things which go well and make sure you mention them. As adults we are often busy with life in general and happy when the kids behave as they should do. We often only react when something goes wrong in our opinion. Especially when the kids hit the teenage years and turn into individuals with their own opinion and ideas. If we can keep the conversation light and positive this will help us in our connection with each other.