Hello SCVi Families and Friends,
As we begin to power down for the summer, our learners are engaged in final projects, state assessments, and anything else involved in end-of-the-year crunch time. For the child who is considered a perfectionist, this can be an incredibly stressful time. Ironically, learners can feel overwhelmed by excessive praise from the adults in their lives, internalizing that acceptance is synonymous with accomplishing abundant feats.
There are ways to help our perfectionist learners transition with lower levels of stress. Some examples of what you can do at home to help ease perfectionist tendencies:
- Help them understand that it is impossible to complete every task without making mistakes.
- Encourage high standards, but explain that there is a difference between perfectionism and quality work.
- Help them prioritize tasks and to break assignments or projects down into manageable parts.
- Promote relaxation techniques such as listening to soothing music, counting slowly, taking deep breaths, participating in a hobby, walking, reading or something else that helps calm them.
At SCVi, we are very in tune to recognizing when our learners are beginning to feel overwhelmed by the tasks before them. We are able to intervene and redefine the task, making class time more manageable. If your child shows signs of developing perfectionist behaviors, ask to meet with your child’s facilitator to develop a plan to support your learner for the most optimal experience.
We’ve attached an article on the subject for your review:
Perfectionism in Children
Enjoy your week,
Lisa Latimer, Kimberly Matthes, Elsa Williamson, Nicole Padovich and Malaka Donovan
The Leadership Team