Progress Not Perfection: Reducing Stress About School
Holding themselves to high standards can be good for students, but it is also important to stay grounded. Striving for constant perfection can make students feel anxious, stressed, and defeated if things don’t turn out exactly as they had planned. Encouraging them to focus on progress instead can be a healthier and more sustainable option.
Students often have good intentions when they aim for perfection. They want to do their best and get good grades. But it requires more time, focus, and energy to zero in on every detail and make sure everything is just right. Students can get stuck on a single task or assignment for longer than they need to, and it can be draining. They may lose motivation and concentration for other assignments.
Remind your child that making mistakes is part of life, and no one is perfect at everything all the time. Mistakes are a chance to learn and grow. And just because something isn’t perfect doesn’t mean it’s not good enough. Missing a few points on a test or project likely won’t make or break their overall grade. They should be proud of themselves for putting forth their best effort.
Set Realistic Goals
Focus on progress, not perfection, by setting realistic goals. Help your child determine what they can reasonably achieve or expect from themselves. Break down large tasks into smaller parts and celebrate hitting each milestone or goal. This provides positive reinforcement and lets your student see what they have achieved along the way. If they make a mistake, they can see that it hasn’t ruined the entire project, and they can adjust and move on.
Develop Time Management
Work on creating a schedule to help your child stay on track. This can reduce feelings of being overwhelmed because they have a plan in place. Instead of staying up all night before a test studying or working on a project, do a little bit each day leading up to it. They are likely to remember more and perform better when they’ve been slowly reinforcing their skills, practicing, and taking breaks so their brain can process what they’ve been studying.
Focus on the Good
Help your child celebrate what went well rather than what didn’t go as planned. Building resilience is important not just now, but for their future as well. Perfection is often viewed as an endpoint, whereas progress is ongoing — there is always more to learn and ways to improve. They may not have gotten a perfect score, but they may have improved on their previous score or gotten the answers correct on a specific topic they were struggling with.
Ask for Help
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Not everyone excels at every subject. Everyone learns at their own pace and in their own way. If your child is frustrated because there is something they don’t understand or they are not performing as well as they believe they can, consider tutoring. At Crafting Scholars, our learning specialists can present information in different ways to make it easier to understand. We work with your child on their specific needs and goals and create customized curriculum aligned with learning style and strengths.
Equipping your child with various strategies and tools for organization, note taking, studying, test prep, and other skills can help them be more successful in school and feel more confident in their abilities. Contact us today to learn how we can help and reserve your child’s spot.
