Perfectionism can interfere with learning.
We all want our children to live up to their potential. But that doesn’t mean they have to be the best at everything. In fact, when kids spend all their time trying to be perfect, they may actually end up hurting their ability to learn. And, many achievers say their mistakes were what helped them learn the most.
Children might be a perfectionist if they:
- Focus on what they did wrong, not what they did well.
- Avoid trying new things for fear they may fail.
- Put things off out of fear their work won’t be good enough.
What can you do if you see these traits in children?
- Show you value them for who they are, not what they do.
- Help them see what’s important and what isn’t (researching for a report is but spending hours on the cover probably isn’t).
- Applaud them for taking healthy risks and let them know it’s okay to make mistakes.
- Make time for activities they can do that don't involve competition.
Source: The Parent Institute