Children and teens struggling with perfectionism avoid making mistakes at all costs. When they perceive they are making mistakes (or will make a mistake), perfectionistic children and teens experience intense anxiety, become angry or upset, and engage in behaviors to avoid real or imagined imperfection, such as:
Children and teens who struggle with perfectionism have a strong belief that if they are less than perfect, they are failures. They tend to think in “black and white,” fear disappointing others, and may even engage in chronic procrastination that leads to increased anxiety and panic, resulting in an endless vicious anxiety loop.
- Being overly cautious and extremely thoroughReact in chaos when things don’t go perfectly or as expected
- Attempt to make everyone else act perfectly or in a specific manner
- Engage in rule-bound behaviors, such as being too rigid following game rules, tattle-telling on friends who break rules, or excessively planning out outings so they go exactly as expected
Children and teens who struggle with perfectionism have a strong belief that if they are less than perfect, they are failures. They tend to think in “black and white,” fear disappointing others, and may even engage in chronic procrastination that leads to increased anxiety and panic, resulting in an endless vicious anxiety loop.