Raising a “perfectionist” child, one who avoids challenges because he/she is afraid to make mistakes, can be a tricky job.
We all want to raise children who strive for excellence, right? I’m not sure any parent has a sweet little baby and thinks:
“I hope she makes mistakes!”
“I can’t wait until he loses!”
“When I disappoint her, it’s gonna be great!”
But that’s inevitably what will happen. And it’s best to be prepared. Your beautiful children are going to make mistakes. They will lose and be disappointed at times, and it’s a good thing! It’s a healthy thing! It builds resilience. Resilience is “the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness,” and resilience (or grit, as it’s sometimes called) is necessary for true life success.
People make mistakes. And if children don’t learn this lesson within the safe walls of their loving homes, then life will make sure they learn it whether they are ready or not. It’s best to be prepared, and it’s our job to prepare them.
This sweet book, BEAUTIFUL OOPS! by Barney Salzberg is a must-have for every child’s collection, especially a child who exhibits signs of becoming a perfectionist. It’s colorful, creative, and filled with wonderful ways to move on when faced with an “oops!”
Reading this book regularly will hopefully help your child learn to flip a negative into a positive. You can continue to support this idea by:
Talking out loud about your mistakes.
Making sure you emphasize how much fun you’re having while playing games together; it’s not about winning or losing.
Make sure your child loses AND practices being a good sport about it.
Break up overwhelming tasks into smaller steps.
Change up your routine occasionally for something fun.
We all struggle at times, but when we’re prepared and know we can flip our thinking, we can get up from a fall and handle anything!