Is Your Child a Perfectionist?
If you're like many parents, the last thing you'd assume about your kid is that he is a perfectionist. (One look at the bedroom or the handwriting would probably blow any suspicions!) But perfectionism isn't about a kid doing his best or working hard to achieve excellence. In fact, perfectionism can actually block a child's ability to do well. And, of course, perfection is impossible to achieve as well. So how do you tell if you're raising a perfectionist?
Perfectionists are kids who:
- Overcommit themselves.
- Rarely work with others.
- Have a hard time making choices.
- Always have to be in control.
- Compete fiercely.
- Arrive late because one more thing had to be done.
- Always do last-minute cramming.
- Get carried away with the details.
- Never seem satisfied with their work.
- Constantly busy themselves with something or other.
- Frequently criticize others.
- Refuse to hear criticism of themselves.
- Pay more attention to negative than positive comments.
- Check up on other people's work.
- Call themselves "stupid" when they do something imperfectly.
- Procrastinate.
- If a majority of these teen behaviors sound familiar, it's time to help your kid rethink his priorities and relax a little. As Harriet Braiker said, "Striving for excellence motivates you; striving for perfection is demoralizing."
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