Objective. For example, sudden death in the family, moving to a new city, a new school, a new country, or a chaotic environment in the family. Fear of failure stops them from trying new things, and they forge a very small world where they feel safe. Perfectionism can be overwhelming, but there are ways to help. The symptoms will vary from child to child, and can depend on your child's age. I know firsthand about being a perfectionist. Perfectionism makes it difficult to finish tasks, and can be frustrating for everyone in the family! It was also noted that child perfectionism increased the symptoms of depression (p < .001), decreased feelings of gratitude (p = .018), increased the recognition of self-worth (p = .009) and activated certain aspects of sympathy towards others' pain (p = .043). Feeling guilty if not engaged in meaningful work at all times. The first hypothesis was partially supported. Multidimensional Perfectionism and Anxiety: Differences Among Individuals With Perfectionism and Tests of a Coping-Mediation Model. Perfectionism is typically defined as a trait involving personally demanding standards for performance. Hygiene and health - Perfectionism can cause your child to obsess over their health and hygiene, such as brushing their teeth excessively or showering multiple times a day. Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) The SCL-90-R ( Derogatis, 1994) is a 90-item self-report measure of 9 symptom dimensions: somatization, obsessive compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation, and psychoticism. The oldest children reported the highest level of self-oriented perfectionism, and children aged 16-17 years reported significantly greater self-oriented perfectionism than children . The first hypothesis was partially supported.
trait perfectionism in children, the Child-Adolescent Perfectionism Scale (CAPS), has omitted other-oriented perfectionism. Low tolerance to failure and / or errors, with corresponding excessive self . The perfectionist mindset combined with the drive to restrict food can cause life-threatening weight loss. These are events that shook our world during our formative years. Here are 14 signs that perfectionism could actually be holding you back -- and simple ways to start letting go. Moreover, in certain key educational contexts, perfectionism can undermine learning and performance (see Flett, Hewitt, Su, & Flett, 2016). Obsessions are unwanted and intrusive thoughts, feelings, urges and doubts, while compulsions are repetitive physical or mental actions performed in an attempt to relieve distress and anxiety. Although a link has been found between perfectionism and adult anxiety treatment outcomes, there is a . Just remember to emphasize the goal: effort without the possibility of perfection. But they may include: Big meltdowns when a mistake is made or your child thinks that what they are doing is not 'perfect' Being overly cautious or reluctant to try new things High sensitivity to criticism (real or perceived) Generally speaking, perfectionism becomes clinically significant when it results in an excessive or unrealistic need to perform to exceedingly high, self-imposed standards. If you notice your child is showing signs of perfectionism, there are things you can do to help them find balance and a healthier outlook . How can I help a perfectionist child? Tics ( tic disorder is one of the most common diagnoses associated with OCD) Distractibility; it can be hard to focus when a child is managing obsessive thoughts. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 55 (2), 180-185. "Stacy, you better get an A+ on this spelling bee or we'll never say 'I love you' again.". 6. J Couns Psychol. The main models of the development of perfectionism focus on . Relationships between parent and child perfectionism and between parent psychopathology and child perfectionism were examined across 5 age groups (8-9 years, 10-11 years, 12-13 years, 14 . procrastination of difficult tasks. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between . fear of losing standing in the eyes of parents, teachers or classmates. Greblo, Z. Bratko, D. (2014). The Child-Adolescent Perfectionism Scale is a measure of interpersonal expression of perfectionistic behavior for children and adolescents. Unhealthy Sign: Not smiling, high-fiving, or otherwise acknowledging the small improvements that build towards mastery. The idea is simple: one can have either a fixed mindset, or a growth mindset. The present study was a cross-sectional analysis of child and parent perfectionism and symptoms of psychopathology. Laughs and smiles a lot. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 55 (2), 180-185. OCPD is one of several personality disorders listed in the DSM-5. Consult your physician regarding the applicability of any opinions or recommendations with respect to your symptoms or medical condition . A path model tested to investigate the mediating effect of perfectionism domains on the relation between negative affect and child anxiety, worry, and depression symptoms suggested that domains of perfectionist may be implicated in specific paths betweennegative affect and children anxiety, depression, and worry. Seeing . Follows me everywhere. Emotional outbursts. Parents' perfectionism and its relation to child-rearing behaviours. Push them out of their comfort zone regularly. A person with a personality disorder has trouble perceiving and relating to situations and people. In fact, perfectionistic children often struggle with anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. Signs of perfectionism include negative self-talk . OCD vs Perfectionism . Identify Your Tendencies. Toxic perfectionism in children and teens typically shows up as: Holding themselves to unrealistically high standards Having a heightened sensitivity to flaws or mistakes Interpreting mistakes as failure Tending towards rigid all-or-nothing thinking. Perfectionism is a significant transdiagnostic process related to the development and maintenance of several psychological disorders. . Acknowledge your child's negative emotions like irritation, anxiety, sorrow, and fear. Stomach aches. Keep an eye out for signs of unhealthy perfectionism: your child stops enjoying the things they usually like, they seem too stressed to handle the pressures on them or they limit or stop hanging out with friends. The Child-Adolescent Perfectionism Scale is a measure of interpersonal expression of perfectionistic behavior for children and adolescents. that parents and children who reported symptoms of anxiety, depression, obsessive- compulsive disorder, and general internalizing problems would also report higher levels of perfectionism. Feeling guilty if not engaged in meaningful work at all times. 2. Multidimensional Perfectionism and Anxiety: Differences Among Individuals With Perfectionism and Tests of a Coping-Mediation Model. Perceiving that one's work is never good enough. Telling a child who is clearly not succeeding that they're doing great isn't helpful, and neither is scolding them for having a meltdown. Mccabe R, et al. It examines factors that may influence and explain why perfectionism is connected with child anxiety. 5. Climbs on everything and has good balance. In children, this can present with more physical symptoms, such as: Headaches. Perhaps most intriguing and most troubling is the sheer prevalence of perfectionism among children and adolescents. Eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia nervosa Headaches Migraine Obsessive-compulsive disorder Social anxiety Depression Suicide If your child is a perfectionist, it may affect their. Even mild. You check and recheck your work repeatedly for typos, misspellings, and errors. Unhealthy perfectionism. Finally, another cause of perfectionism are the traumatic events or sudden changes we experienced during our childhood. The temporal relation between two types of perfectionism - self-oriented perfectionism (SOP) and socially prescribed perfectionism (SPP) - and depressive symptoms was examined in a sample of 653 children (286 girls, 367 boys) across Grades 6 (depressive symptoms only), 7, and 8. J Can Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. Fears being looked down upon or facing embarrassment in public. According to Shafran, Egan and Wade (2010), the essential components of dysfunctional perfectionism are: Efforts to meet high standards despite the negative effects on the person (suffering) Basing self-evaluation in the achievement or approach to these standards. Step 1: Educate your child about perfectionism: First, talk to your child about perfectionism. For example, sudden death in the family, moving to a new city, a new school, a new country, or a chaotic environment in the family. Perfectionism often starts in childhood. If you notice your child is showing signs of perfectionism, there are things you can do to help them find balance and a healthier outlook . Self-consciousness, low self-esteem, or lots of negative self-talk about the child's own achievements. Procrastinates tasks and has difficulty completing tasks at hand. Do not have many friends and find it difficult to make new friends. They can get very anxious about small details and "get stuck.". The book discusses how perfectionism manifests itself and suggests effective coping strategies plus invaluable guidance on how to avoid future relapse. Some characteristics of children who are extreme perfectionists: having exceptionally high expectations for themselves; being self-critical, self-conscious and easily embarrassed; having strong feelings of inadequacy and low self-confidence; exhibiting persistent anxiety about making mistakes; being highly sensitive to criticism; Child perfectionism, depression symptoms and positive emotions. social anxiety. social anxiety. difficulty making decisions. The book is available via our online . Here are nine ways to cope with anxiety and perfectionism: 1. They may also focus on their physical health by over-exercising and only eating what they deem as healthy foods, which can lead to an eating disorder such as orthorexia. For individuals with C-PTSD, the need for absolute excellence can become a . Feeling continually dissatisfied about one's work--which can lead to depression, anxiety, and other physical symptoms. There is growing interest in perfectionism among children and adolescents as well as growing interest in the measures designed to assess perfectionism in young people. Parents' perfectionism and its relation to child-rearing behaviours. Step 2 .
The regression analysis shows that the reactions to failure emerged as the main predictor of depressive symptoms, followed by perfectionist self-demands, which explained 21% of the variance of children's depressive symptomatology. Kids who think they have to be perfect are at a higher risk of mental health problems, like depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. Due to the lack of studies about the effect that perfectionism has on child emotional aspects, this study attempts to analyze the relationship between perfectionism and child symptomatology that may hinder a balanced development, such as irritability, feelings of worthlessness, thinking problems, and psychophysiological symptoms. 15 Signs of OCD Perfectionism. stage fright.
The results of three studies involving multiple samples are reported. Development, psychometric properties, and associations with stress, distress, and psychiatric symptoms. These tendencies can produce feelings of shame, guilt, humiliation, and embarrassment. 2020;67(6) . Over time, such behaviour, known as maladaptive perfectionism, may be detrimental to the child's well-being as it increases the risk of the child developing symptoms of depression, anxiety and . Perfectionism beliefs were measured with both the Adaptive/Maladaptive Perfectionism Scale (AMPS) and . An excessive desire for perfection can cause a host of stresses, including: fear of failure. Finally, another cause of perfectionism are the traumatic events or sudden changes we experienced during our childhood. Strategies to help balance your kid's perfectionism. Additional analyses which studied the predictive . Objective: To measure the association of perfectionism with obsessive-compulsive and depressive symptoms in children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). A study has been designed to evaluate the differential effect that each dimension of perfectionism (External Pressure, Self-Exigency, and Negative Self-Evaluation) has in a Spanish children sample of general population for each of the . You've always been eager to please. Emotional suppression. (Safe meaning they are not likely to fail.) Development, psychometric properties, and associations with stress, distress, and psychiatric symptoms. 1. 6. Tips to Help Anxious Children Overcome Perfectionism. At a glance. The Down Side Of Having Perfectionistic Parents. Maladaptive/unhealthy perfectionism, on the other hand, has been associated with distress, low-self esteem, and symptoms of mental illness. 1. headaches (or brain fog) Low-risk taker and fears trying out new things lest he fails at them. The first is a false . Method: Sample consisted of 94 youth (44 boys, 49 girls; mean age = 13.2 y, SD = 2.5 y) with a DSM-IV diagnosis of OCD. The first and most common overarching symptom of having been raised by perfectionistic parents is that you will be prone to suppressing your emotions. He seems to be ambidextrous and is able to do lace up cards, put coins in a piggy bank, draw circles and is beginning to try to trace thins. The chapter reviews research that pertains to total anxiety symptoms, rather than specific diagnoses, because the majority of studies examining perfectionism and anxiety in childhood use scales that assess total anxiety symptoms. In the present study, we address this by reporting on the mul- . Moroz M. Self-critical perfectionism and lower daily perceived control predict depressive and anxious symptoms over four years. Journal of Counseling Development, 90, 427-436. Being a perfectionist can cause anxiety and even lower achievement. Mesurer l'association du perfectionnisme avec les symptmes obsessionnels-compulsifs et dpressifs chez les enfants et les adolescents souffrant du trouble obsessionnel-compulsif (TOC). Perceiving that one's work is never good enough. There is growing interest in perfectionism among children and adolescents as well as growing interest in the measures designed to assess perfectionism in young people. Feeling continually dissatisfied about one's work--which can lead to depression, anxiety, and other physical symptoms. People with ADHD aren't often thought of as perfectionists. Past research has primarily focused on the main effect of perfectionism on worry among children and neglected potential moderating processes. Greblo, Z. Bratko, D. (2014).
October 30, 2018 A perfectionism disorder in the psychological sense occurs when an individual, because of certain childhood stressors, develops significant low self-esteem and a sense of shame regarding his very self.
He is very expressive. fear of losing standing in the eyes of parents, teachers or classmates. If you spot signs of perfectionism in your anxious child, you can help them overcome the constant striving to be perfect with a number of helpful tips. Perfectionism increases the risk of health issues including eating disorders, anxiety disorders, pathological worry, and premature death. difficulty making decisions. The current article describes the development and psychometric characteristics of the Child-Adolescent Perfectionism Scale (CAPS), a measure that assesses self-oriented perfectionism and socially prescribed perfectionism. A vulnerability model, in which perfectionism affects depressive symptoms, was compared to a scar model, in which . You avoid checking for mistakes at all, because if you found one, it might cause you to check repeatedly. A child who is a perfectionist will likely only want to put their efforts towards things they feel they can excel at. How to Raise a Happy Child: Secrets to this Most Important Tool for Child Success! Eventually, it can also lead you to stop trying to succeed. Do Brain-Muscle Exercises. fear of trying new things. For younger children, you may not want to label it as "perfectionism", but instead say: For teens, call it "perfectionism" in case they want to find out more about it on their own (on the internet or at the library). . . Strategies to help balance your kid's perfectionism.
trait perfectionism in children, the Child-Adolescent Perfectionism Scale (CAPS), has omitted other-oriented perfectionism. Low tolerance to failure and / or errors, with corresponding excessive self . The perfectionist mindset combined with the drive to restrict food can cause life-threatening weight loss. These are events that shook our world during our formative years. Here are 14 signs that perfectionism could actually be holding you back -- and simple ways to start letting go. Moreover, in certain key educational contexts, perfectionism can undermine learning and performance (see Flett, Hewitt, Su, & Flett, 2016). Obsessions are unwanted and intrusive thoughts, feelings, urges and doubts, while compulsions are repetitive physical or mental actions performed in an attempt to relieve distress and anxiety. Although a link has been found between perfectionism and adult anxiety treatment outcomes, there is a . Just remember to emphasize the goal: effort without the possibility of perfection. But they may include: Big meltdowns when a mistake is made or your child thinks that what they are doing is not 'perfect' Being overly cautious or reluctant to try new things High sensitivity to criticism (real or perceived) Generally speaking, perfectionism becomes clinically significant when it results in an excessive or unrealistic need to perform to exceedingly high, self-imposed standards. If you notice your child is showing signs of perfectionism, there are things you can do to help them find balance and a healthier outlook . How can I help a perfectionist child? Tics ( tic disorder is one of the most common diagnoses associated with OCD) Distractibility; it can be hard to focus when a child is managing obsessive thoughts. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 55 (2), 180-185. "Stacy, you better get an A+ on this spelling bee or we'll never say 'I love you' again.". 6. J Couns Psychol. The main models of the development of perfectionism focus on . Relationships between parent and child perfectionism and between parent psychopathology and child perfectionism were examined across 5 age groups (8-9 years, 10-11 years, 12-13 years, 14 . procrastination of difficult tasks. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between . fear of losing standing in the eyes of parents, teachers or classmates. Greblo, Z. Bratko, D. (2014). The Child-Adolescent Perfectionism Scale is a measure of interpersonal expression of perfectionistic behavior for children and adolescents. Unhealthy Sign: Not smiling, high-fiving, or otherwise acknowledging the small improvements that build towards mastery. The idea is simple: one can have either a fixed mindset, or a growth mindset. The present study was a cross-sectional analysis of child and parent perfectionism and symptoms of psychopathology. Laughs and smiles a lot. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 55 (2), 180-185. OCPD is one of several personality disorders listed in the DSM-5. Consult your physician regarding the applicability of any opinions or recommendations with respect to your symptoms or medical condition . A path model tested to investigate the mediating effect of perfectionism domains on the relation between negative affect and child anxiety, worry, and depression symptoms suggested that domains of perfectionist may be implicated in specific paths betweennegative affect and children anxiety, depression, and worry. Seeing . Follows me everywhere. Emotional outbursts. Parents' perfectionism and its relation to child-rearing behaviours. Push them out of their comfort zone regularly. A person with a personality disorder has trouble perceiving and relating to situations and people. In fact, perfectionistic children often struggle with anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. Signs of perfectionism include negative self-talk . OCD vs Perfectionism . Identify Your Tendencies. Toxic perfectionism in children and teens typically shows up as: Holding themselves to unrealistically high standards Having a heightened sensitivity to flaws or mistakes Interpreting mistakes as failure Tending towards rigid all-or-nothing thinking. Perfectionism is a significant transdiagnostic process related to the development and maintenance of several psychological disorders. . Acknowledge your child's negative emotions like irritation, anxiety, sorrow, and fear. Stomach aches. Keep an eye out for signs of unhealthy perfectionism: your child stops enjoying the things they usually like, they seem too stressed to handle the pressures on them or they limit or stop hanging out with friends. The Child-Adolescent Perfectionism Scale is a measure of interpersonal expression of perfectionistic behavior for children and adolescents. that parents and children who reported symptoms of anxiety, depression, obsessive- compulsive disorder, and general internalizing problems would also report higher levels of perfectionism. Feeling guilty if not engaged in meaningful work at all times. 2. Multidimensional Perfectionism and Anxiety: Differences Among Individuals With Perfectionism and Tests of a Coping-Mediation Model. Perceiving that one's work is never good enough. Telling a child who is clearly not succeeding that they're doing great isn't helpful, and neither is scolding them for having a meltdown. Mccabe R, et al. It examines factors that may influence and explain why perfectionism is connected with child anxiety. 5. Climbs on everything and has good balance. In children, this can present with more physical symptoms, such as: Headaches. Perhaps most intriguing and most troubling is the sheer prevalence of perfectionism among children and adolescents. Eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia nervosa Headaches Migraine Obsessive-compulsive disorder Social anxiety Depression Suicide If your child is a perfectionist, it may affect their. Even mild. You check and recheck your work repeatedly for typos, misspellings, and errors. Unhealthy perfectionism. Finally, another cause of perfectionism are the traumatic events or sudden changes we experienced during our childhood. The temporal relation between two types of perfectionism - self-oriented perfectionism (SOP) and socially prescribed perfectionism (SPP) - and depressive symptoms was examined in a sample of 653 children (286 girls, 367 boys) across Grades 6 (depressive symptoms only), 7, and 8. J Can Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. Fears being looked down upon or facing embarrassment in public. According to Shafran, Egan and Wade (2010), the essential components of dysfunctional perfectionism are: Efforts to meet high standards despite the negative effects on the person (suffering) Basing self-evaluation in the achievement or approach to these standards. Step 1: Educate your child about perfectionism: First, talk to your child about perfectionism. For example, sudden death in the family, moving to a new city, a new school, a new country, or a chaotic environment in the family. Perfectionism often starts in childhood. If you notice your child is showing signs of perfectionism, there are things you can do to help them find balance and a healthier outlook . Self-consciousness, low self-esteem, or lots of negative self-talk about the child's own achievements. Procrastinates tasks and has difficulty completing tasks at hand. Do not have many friends and find it difficult to make new friends. They can get very anxious about small details and "get stuck.". The book discusses how perfectionism manifests itself and suggests effective coping strategies plus invaluable guidance on how to avoid future relapse. Some characteristics of children who are extreme perfectionists: having exceptionally high expectations for themselves; being self-critical, self-conscious and easily embarrassed; having strong feelings of inadequacy and low self-confidence; exhibiting persistent anxiety about making mistakes; being highly sensitive to criticism; Child perfectionism, depression symptoms and positive emotions. social anxiety. social anxiety. difficulty making decisions. The book is available via our online . Here are nine ways to cope with anxiety and perfectionism: 1. They may also focus on their physical health by over-exercising and only eating what they deem as healthy foods, which can lead to an eating disorder such as orthorexia. For individuals with C-PTSD, the need for absolute excellence can become a . Feeling continually dissatisfied about one's work--which can lead to depression, anxiety, and other physical symptoms. There is growing interest in perfectionism among children and adolescents as well as growing interest in the measures designed to assess perfectionism in young people. Parents' perfectionism and its relation to child-rearing behaviours. Step 2 .
The regression analysis shows that the reactions to failure emerged as the main predictor of depressive symptoms, followed by perfectionist self-demands, which explained 21% of the variance of children's depressive symptomatology. Kids who think they have to be perfect are at a higher risk of mental health problems, like depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. Due to the lack of studies about the effect that perfectionism has on child emotional aspects, this study attempts to analyze the relationship between perfectionism and child symptomatology that may hinder a balanced development, such as irritability, feelings of worthlessness, thinking problems, and psychophysiological symptoms. 15 Signs of OCD Perfectionism. stage fright.
The results of three studies involving multiple samples are reported. Development, psychometric properties, and associations with stress, distress, and psychiatric symptoms. These tendencies can produce feelings of shame, guilt, humiliation, and embarrassment. 2020;67(6) . Over time, such behaviour, known as maladaptive perfectionism, may be detrimental to the child's well-being as it increases the risk of the child developing symptoms of depression, anxiety and . Perfectionism beliefs were measured with both the Adaptive/Maladaptive Perfectionism Scale (AMPS) and . An excessive desire for perfection can cause a host of stresses, including: fear of failure. Finally, another cause of perfectionism are the traumatic events or sudden changes we experienced during our childhood. Strategies to help balance your kid's perfectionism. Additional analyses which studied the predictive . Objective: To measure the association of perfectionism with obsessive-compulsive and depressive symptoms in children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). A study has been designed to evaluate the differential effect that each dimension of perfectionism (External Pressure, Self-Exigency, and Negative Self-Evaluation) has in a Spanish children sample of general population for each of the . You've always been eager to please. Emotional suppression. (Safe meaning they are not likely to fail.) Development, psychometric properties, and associations with stress, distress, and psychiatric symptoms. 1. 6. Tips to Help Anxious Children Overcome Perfectionism. At a glance. The Down Side Of Having Perfectionistic Parents. Maladaptive/unhealthy perfectionism, on the other hand, has been associated with distress, low-self esteem, and symptoms of mental illness. 1. headaches (or brain fog) Low-risk taker and fears trying out new things lest he fails at them. The first is a false . Method: Sample consisted of 94 youth (44 boys, 49 girls; mean age = 13.2 y, SD = 2.5 y) with a DSM-IV diagnosis of OCD. The first and most common overarching symptom of having been raised by perfectionistic parents is that you will be prone to suppressing your emotions. He seems to be ambidextrous and is able to do lace up cards, put coins in a piggy bank, draw circles and is beginning to try to trace thins. The chapter reviews research that pertains to total anxiety symptoms, rather than specific diagnoses, because the majority of studies examining perfectionism and anxiety in childhood use scales that assess total anxiety symptoms. In the present study, we address this by reporting on the mul- . Moroz M. Self-critical perfectionism and lower daily perceived control predict depressive and anxious symptoms over four years. Journal of Counseling Development, 90, 427-436. Being a perfectionist can cause anxiety and even lower achievement. Mesurer l'association du perfectionnisme avec les symptmes obsessionnels-compulsifs et dpressifs chez les enfants et les adolescents souffrant du trouble obsessionnel-compulsif (TOC). Perceiving that one's work is never good enough. There is growing interest in perfectionism among children and adolescents as well as growing interest in the measures designed to assess perfectionism in young people. Feeling continually dissatisfied about one's work--which can lead to depression, anxiety, and other physical symptoms. People with ADHD aren't often thought of as perfectionists. Past research has primarily focused on the main effect of perfectionism on worry among children and neglected potential moderating processes. Greblo, Z. Bratko, D. (2014).
October 30, 2018 A perfectionism disorder in the psychological sense occurs when an individual, because of certain childhood stressors, develops significant low self-esteem and a sense of shame regarding his very self.
He is very expressive. fear of losing standing in the eyes of parents, teachers or classmates. If you spot signs of perfectionism in your anxious child, you can help them overcome the constant striving to be perfect with a number of helpful tips. Perfectionism increases the risk of health issues including eating disorders, anxiety disorders, pathological worry, and premature death. difficulty making decisions. The current article describes the development and psychometric characteristics of the Child-Adolescent Perfectionism Scale (CAPS), a measure that assesses self-oriented perfectionism and socially prescribed perfectionism. A vulnerability model, in which perfectionism affects depressive symptoms, was compared to a scar model, in which . You avoid checking for mistakes at all, because if you found one, it might cause you to check repeatedly. A child who is a perfectionist will likely only want to put their efforts towards things they feel they can excel at. How to Raise a Happy Child: Secrets to this Most Important Tool for Child Success! Eventually, it can also lead you to stop trying to succeed. Do Brain-Muscle Exercises. fear of trying new things. For younger children, you may not want to label it as "perfectionism", but instead say: For teens, call it "perfectionism" in case they want to find out more about it on their own (on the internet or at the library). . . Strategies to help balance your kid's perfectionism.