Many kids and teens struggle with perfectionism—they feel intense pressure to excel, avoid tasks when success isn’t guaranteed, or melt down when things aren’t “just right.” Society makes us and our kids feel they have to do more and more to succeed, and social media amplifies the comparison and achievement culture. Families are seeing more anxiety, procrastination, and self-criticism tied to these high standards. Yet it can be hard to know when your child’s motivation is healthy striving and when it’s tipping into patterns that hurt their wellbeing. It can also be hard to recognize when parents are unintentionally contributing to the sky-high expectations and stress.
In this webinar, Dr. Gabby Marton of Small Brooklyn Psychology outlined how to identify perfectionism in kids and teens and what makes it different from typical motivation. She shared evidence-based strategies used by clinicians—including exposure, flexible thinking, and challenging automatic negative thoughts—along with practical guidance for shifting language and habits at home to help break perfectionistic cycles. Dr. Gabby offered clear principles, real-life examples, and take-home tools to help parents support kids’ resilience, confidence, and healthier expectations. Gabby answered questions from participants at the end, moderated by Dr. Mandi White-Ajmani.
This webinar was conducted in partnership with Park Slope Parents, our wonderful local resource for parent support in Brooklyn. The recording for this webinar is available for free to PSP members and for $25 to non-members. Email events@parkslopeparents.com for access.