Research abstract

Perfectionist Children: Tips to Manage Their Stress

Do you have a child who strives for perfection? There are types of students that do also tend to have the most anxiety. There are ways to alleviate their stress to be perfect. By Laura Shaffer, PhD

Laura Lurns Last updated December 29, 2016 · 1 min read

Work-related stress isn’t just for adults: children who are perfectionists can experience it too. They can become obsessive about performance on homework assignments and other tasks, and their stress can lead to physical symptoms like headaches and sleep problems. Unfortunately, children may not yet have developed the communication skills for describing stress, so may bottle it up – which can lead to more severe problems later on.

As a parent, there are things you can do to help your child avoid stress. You can listen carefully to your child for signs of stress. You can help your child learn how to manage their time. And as a scheduler of many of their activities, you can make sure that they aren’t over-booked. Finally, you can be a model for your child of good sleeping habits, exercise habits, and a healthy balance between work and play.

Key takeaways

Perfectionist children may be more inclined to experience anxiety and stress than their peers.
Some perfectionist children may avoid tasks that they initially struggle with.
It is important to model flexibility and openness, particularly if your child is a perfectionist.

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A screener is a starting point, not a diagnosis. If your child might need formal accommodations (an IEP or 504 plan), or you suspect a vision, hearing or medical cause, pursue a professional evaluation too. That is the only route to those supports.

Laura Lurns · Learning Success expert Writes about the learning brain for parents who want plain answers. Every article is grounded in current neuroscience and classroom practice.

Key takeaways

Is your child struggling in school?

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