The Expert-Backed Way To Help Kids Who Fall Apart Over Mistakes

<div><img src="https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/68ee449315000064f126a278.jpg?ops=scalefit_630_noupscale" alt="" data-caption="" data-credit-link-back="" data-credit="Catherine Falls Commercial via Getty Images" /></div><div class="content-list-component text"><p>The parent of a six-year-old who “struggles with tasks due to perfectionism” has asked others for advice on how to help their child become less obsessed with getting things right all the time. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Parenting/comments/1o53crm/perfectionism_in_child/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">In a Reddit post, they noted</a> their child “will get angry and cry, [and] sometimes have a meltdown” if he can’t do something perfectly – a pattern they’ve spotted since he turned four. </p><p>Perfectionism appears to be on the rise – especially in children and young people. <a href="https://www.oxjournal.org/striving-to-be-the-best/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">One 2022 study</a> (involving 16 to 25-year-olds) found 85% of them had perfectionist traits that were mostly focused on academic achievement.</p><p>This is, understandably, stressful – and it can take its toll on both physical and mental health over time. Meeting parental and teacher expectations was often a source of distress, the <a href="https://www.oxjournal.org/striving-to-be-the-best/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">study noted</a>, but students also attributed it to their own achievement aspirations.</p><p>Some teachers previously opened up about witnessing a trend where more children seem <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/teacher-says-kids-dont-have-basic-life-skills_uk_68c98311e4b0bf99dd2541f4">too a