Have you ever seen your child become anxious or angry when they make a mistake? Does your little one give up easily? Is he overly cautious about tasks? Does she meltdown when things don’t go as planned? If you answered yes to these questions you probably have a perfectionist on your hands.
If you’ve seen the anxiety that’s created inside the mind of your little perfectionist, I’m guessing you want to know HOW to help them move past perfectionism in order to rationally deal with failure.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 says…
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Perspective on weaknesses goes a long way. God’s power is only made perfect in weakness. So we’re to boast in our weakness. That kind of flies in the face of our Western culture. However, His strength is what guides us. Here are some practical tools for helping your little perfectionist move toward becoming one who strives for excellence instead:
- Don’t praise kids for achievements that come easily
- Nix the comparison game
- Talk openly about differences, strengths and weaknesses. We all have them. God created us uniquely with different strengths and weaknesses.
- Be SPECIFIC with your praise. No more “You’re such a good girl.” Instead, “Thanks for taking the initiative to keep your room clean. You’re showing such responsibility.”