When is wrong right and when is right wrong? The issue of perfectionism

Gifted children have a very odd problem. Because their perceptions are so sharp and their creative minds so fertile, their concept of what they want to write or build or draw or make tends to be highly detailed and intricate. And that concept sets the standard by which they judge whatever they do produce.

But physical skills often don't match the complicated vision the child has in their head. The design just doesn't work.

The frustrated child may end up in tears, have an outburst of destructive rage, retreat into a huge sulk, condemn themselves as useless, or keep repetitively trying and trying, even to the point of ignoring the rest of the work waiting to be done.

None of these outcomes is good. And yet we know that it's exactly this ability to persist that is so essential to true achievement, in life as at school. The ability to see and strive for what is better than before is at the heart of all invention and creation.

So how do parents and teachers cope with this problem?

Expert Sarah Wilson has written an extremely helpful article for parents as well as teachers: Alleviating Perfectionism in High-Achieving Teens and Young Adults

You can find this insightful article at https://msweducation.org/perfectionism-resources/  

Check it out now!