Perfectionism in children is one of the more deceptive parenting challenges. From the outside it can look like ambition or attention to detail. From the inside, it often feels closer to a low, persistent dread of getting things wrong. Helping a child manage perfectionism is one of the most useful things a parent can do for their long-term wellbeing. Spot the Difference Between Standards and Perfectionism High standards are healthy. Perfectionism is something else. A child with high standards finishes the homework, feels good about it and moves on. A perfectionist child can sit for hours over the same paragraph, fearful of starting badly, and end the evening exhausted and…

Concentration is the quiet engine behind most learning. When it is working well, almost everything else gets easier. When it is not, even very able children can find the school day a slog. The good news for parents and teachers is that concentration is a skill, not a fixed personality trait, and there is a lot we can do to strengthen it. Start With Sleep Almost every conversation about a child’s concentration eventually comes back to sleep. Children of primary school age generally need 9 to 11 hours, and teenagers need 8 to 10. Most children in the UK fall short of that on weekdays. A child who is even…