If you observe how your child gets angry at not being able to draw the picture he had in mind or for not being able to do the best class work, it is probably due to his perfectionist behavior. Perfectionist children tend to fall easily into frustration and have serious self-esteem problems among other things. That is why in the event that you have any other indication or certainty that your child may suffer such type of behavior, do not miss details of how to treat such a problem.
Characteristics of a perfectionist child
There are a number of personality traits or characteristics that can indicate that a child is a perfectionist:
- The demand is the most common element in this class of children. They want to do everything right and when they don’t get it they get frustrated in such a way that they get angry with everyone creating a great discomfort in all aspects.
- These are children who prefer not to leave their comfort zone and not participate in activities that they do not know and do not know how to master.
- Their opinion is quite moldable and they are very affected by what others may think of them. If the assessment is not what you want, your self-esteem is badly damaged.
- They give great importance to the mistakes they make and hardly give value to the objectives they carry out and achieve.
- Perfectionist children are quite introverted .
Tips for Parents of Perfectionist Children
Apart from the child’s own personality, on many occasions the parents’ behaviors make this personality trait much more accentuated. Sometimes parents without realizing it, do not stop flattering their child without realizing that this is a double-edged sword since the child does not want to disappoint their parents by setting the bar too high. Parents should not be so demanding with their children because if they have perfectionist traits it can affect them a lot. That is why the work of parents in these cases is key when dealing with problems that perfectionist children may have.
How to act around a perfectionist child
- In the first place, you have to give much more importance to the effort than to the final achievement. You have to know how to separate both concepts since in this way the child will not end up frustrated by not achieving the final goal.
- You have to make him understand that everyone makes mistakes and that he is not bad . The human being is not perfect and mistakes are used to learn and make everything much better next time. Mistakes are real opportunities for man to learn.
- Parents should be role models for their own children . The child must observe how his father makes a mistake and that nothing happens because of it. Mistakes are not a negative thing and you must see that if your father makes them, he does not get nervous and learns from it.
- It is advisable to sit down once a week and count the various mistakes that both have been able to make. It is good to meet and tell it as if nothing and downplaying it.
Having an overly perfectionist child is a real headache for many parents. With these tips, your child will stop being so perfect and will learn to accept that he must make mistakes when achieving what he sets out to do. In any case, if you notice that your child has a hard time because of this type of behavior, do not hesitate at any time to go to an expert who knows how to treat such a problem.