Exploring Mistakes to Address Perfectionism in Children

Addressing perfectionism in children can be done by encouraging deliberate mistakes in their work. By using an anxiety scale to predict and reflect on the feelings associated with making mistakes, children can learn that the consequences of mistakes are not as severe as they anticipate. Teachers may need to support children in this process by not marking the mistakes or allowing them to erase the mistakes afterwards. Through gradual exposure to making mistakes, children can learn that the fear of making errors is often greater than the actual outcomes, teaching them to cope with imperfection without it leading to negative consequences.