The Smart Youngsters (TSY)

by  A. Saafir   According to the American Heritage Dictionary, a perfectionist is someone that has a propensity for setting extremely high standards and being displeased with anything less. Many of us know people like this who may seem to be driven beyond reason. You yourself may very well be someone like this! When perfectionism gets out of hand, stress can result. This article offers tips for dealing with perfectionist tendencies in self and others. The Perfectionist Child Have you ever met a child who cannot seem to enjoy himself unless whatever he is doing is just so. Some children are so hard on themselves that if their drawing doesn't look exactly the way that they want each and every time they throw it away and get upset. Some older children feel miserable if they get anything less than an A in school. These types of children can create great stress for themselves as well as for those who care about them. If you have a perfectionist child, you should gentl...

If you are happy with your life the way that it is then don't worry about trying to live up to any unrealistic expectations of anyone else. Love yourparent for who they are and try to focus on the positive parts of the relationship. If you have a friend who shows signs of being an out of balance perfectionist parent, pull them to the side and let them know your concerns in a gentle manner. Maybe your words of caution can help them to alter how they have been relating to their own child. The Perfectionist Boss or Co-Worker Have you ever worked for or with someone who never seemed pleased with your efforts or their own? Have you turned in reports and projects only to have them rejected for what seem like insignificant reasons? This can be very frustrating and create a stressful environment at work. There are some things that you can do to deal with perfectionist tendencies in your boss or co-workers. The first and most important thing that you can do in this type of situati...